Marshmallow

Description

Marshmallow is a herbaceous plant of considerable ornamental value, rich in beneficial virtues and easy to grow: so with good reason it was once always found in gardens and vegetable plots. Several species of this malvaceous plant, whose clumps form imposing masses of flowers, are part of the wild flora of the Italian peninsula. Depending on the species, marshmallow can be annual, biennial or perennial.

Stem

Its stems, which reach and exceed a metre and a half in height, are robust, round and light green in colour; generally do not require support.

Leaves

Marshmallow leaves are palmate with toothed margins, are rough, covered, like the rest of the plant, with a whitish down and arranged alternately along the stems. Their colour varies, depending on the species, from a strong, somewhat glaucous green to lighter shades of green.

Flowers

Marshmallow flowers develop in the leaf axils; their size varies from a few centimetres to as much as ten centimetres. They have five petals, which can be of many colours: most often white or pink, but also red, purple, lilac, violet or yellow. They generally bloom in summer, in July and August, but may also appear in autumn or in late spring of the year after sowing.

Exposure

Marshmallow likes a sunny position, more precisely, it likes to have “its head in the sun and its feet in the shade”, that is, it needs constant moisture in the soil. These plants want to be planted in an open position and cannot bear being smothered by dense vegetation.

Propagation

Marshmallow can be propagated by dividing the clumps, preferably in spring, though this can also be done in autumn; by seed, in which case the seeds are sown in a seedbed at the end of spring; or by cuttings, placing the shoots from the base of the clumps in a substrate of sand and peat after detaching them with a heel, that is, with a piece of bark. Naturally, the soil of the cuttings must be kept suitably moist and shaded during the hottest hours. The cuttings are best taken in spring and kept sheltered from the wind.

Growth

As a rule marshmallow is a hardy, robust plant that grows vigorously without causing difficulties; at least half a metre of ground should be left between one plant and the next. The only care marshmallow requires is copious watering, amounting to about two litres of water a day for each clump. During the growing season it is advisable to feed the clumps with an organic fertiliser. Marshmallow can be grown in pots, but this is not advisable because of the large size this herbaceous plant reaches. If one nevertheless intends to grow it in a pot, containers of considerable size are needed, about half a metre deep and wide. Marshmallow plants want the open air and do not tolerate being grown indoors.

Harvesting

Marshmallow leaves, to be added to salads, can be picked at any time during the growing period, as needed. The roots of plants that are at least two years old, should be dug up in autumn.

Storage

The leaves are dried, marshmallow roots are first scraped and then dried in their turn.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: The young leaves of marshmallow are eaten raw in salads, or cooked like spinach after boiling. Marshmallow root is boiled and then lightly fried in a little butter. In the past marshmallow roots were used as an ingredient in jams and syrups. Reduced to powder and then dissolved in sugared water, marshmallow root in fact produces a sweet-tasting paste.

Health

In medicine every part of this herb is used: the root, the leaves and the flowers. Marshmallow in fact has calming properties, emollient, expectorant, diuretic and laxative. It is used in particular as a herbal tea in the treatment of respiratory ailments, to treat catarrh and to relieve stomach and intestinal pains.

Curiosity

Probably thanks to its recognised healing properties, marshmallow, in the language of flowers, has been given the meaning of “beneficence”. Marshmallow