Malva sylvestris Common Mallow Related species:
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Mallow leaves are used to reduce
inflammations and ease bee stings. They are also used in poultices to treat
ulcers and haemorrhoids, and can be added to soups or cooked like spinach.
Tea made from an infusion of the flowers is taken for colds and bronchitis.
Caution should be exercised, as large amounts taken internally may be purgative
and cause indigestion.
Mallow is a wild plant of waste places, especially near the sea, but it is also cultivated as a flowering plant in gardens. It prefers well-drained soil in full sun. Older plants have a tendency to develop rust, so need to be sprayed with a fungicide or replaced regularly with young stock. |