By Caitlin Potere
Are you looking for a unique, useful, and beautiful herb for your garden? Let me introduce you to Marshmallow, a hardy perennial whose every part has a use. It can grow quite tall, up to four feet, with soft fuzzy leaves and light purple flowers. This plant has many cousins in the mallow family which are planted as ornamentals. Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) is the medicinal species that we will explore today.
Marshmallow holds a special place in herbal traditions. It’s part of a small group of medicinal plants containing a large amount of mucilage, a naturally occurring polysaccharide which feels like a slippery gel. This gel soothes, moistens, and protects dry or inflamed tissues in the body. The root contains the highest amount of mucilage and is the most commonly used part of the plant. Tea made from Marshmallow can help relieve dry mouth, sore throats, and dry coughs. Its soothing benefits continue in the digestive system helping to heal inflamed tissues and offering comfort for issues such as ulcers and acid reflux. The mucilage also acts as a prebiotic fiber improving the gut microbiome.
The delicate flowers are edible and can be used to garnish salads or homemade fresh spring rolls. They have a soft texture and no strong flavor. The leaves can be used topically to speed healing of skin irritations such as burns, bug bites, boils, and rashes. The leaves can also be used in the same way as the roots, but it’s important to note that they contain less of the “slime,” so the effect is milder.
Marshmallow offers a sustainable alternative to the popular herb Slippery Elm, a tree bark which has similar medicinal uses. Slippery Elm is considered an “at risk” species by United Plant Savers due to overharvesting and the impacts of Dutch Elm disease. I consider Marshmallow to be easy to grow in Michigan gardens, although it does require a couple extra steps and a little bit of planning to grow it from seed.
You can direct sow Marshmallow seed in the fall or spring. Regardless of the season, it’s best to “scarify” the seed first. “Scarification” involves weakening the seed coat to encourage germination. This is achieved by carefully nicking the seed with a knife or gently rubbing it against sandpaper or a nail file just until the inside shows through in one spot. This allows water to penetrate the thick seed coat. Afterwards, soak the seeds in room temperature water overnight, then sow immediately, or place them in peat moss in a plastic baggie and store it in the fridge for up to five weeks. I always find this to be a welcome project during the late wintertime when I’m eager to get my garden started.
Marshmallow enjoys moist garden soil in full sun, but it will also tolerate part shade and some dry spells. Place prepared seeds on the soil surface, barely cover with soil, and tamp securely. The seeds typically take one to two weeks to germinate. Thin to two feet apart. This plant is not very needy. You do not need to fertilize it. I’ve had great success just letting Mother Nature water it with rainfall. It may need additional water if planted in a sandy or dry spot. Water if it looks wilted. The plant produces ample seeds in the fall which look like little tires. Harvest them when they turn brown and hard.
Leaves and flowers can be harvested in the first year by simply plucking them from the plant, but you’ll want to wait until the plant is at least two years old to harvest the root. The root should be dug up in the early spring or fall of the third year. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil around the base of the plant. Once you have an idea of where the roots have spread, use a shovel to carefully excavate. Roots should be hosed off and gently scrubbed to remove dirt. Use a sharp knife to cut the root into thin slices. Lay root slices, leaves, or flowers in a single layer and use a dehydrator or screen to dry. All plant parts can be stored for one to three years, ideally in an airtight container with a food grade silica packet, away from light, heat, and moisture.
Traditionally, Marshmallow is prepared as a water infusion (“tea”). Due to the chemical nature of the slimy polysaccharides, it is not advisable to try to make a Marshmallow tincture using alcohol. To make Marshmallow tea, use one teaspoon dried root and add eight ounces of warm water (not boiled). Steep for one hour, until slimy, and then strain and squeeze the herb to get more mucilage out. Drink one to four cups a day. The dried leaf can be put in tea blends to add a gentle soothing property that doesn’t make the resulting tea overly slimy. Dried leaves can also be infused in oil to make an herbal healing salve. Fresh leaves (or rehydrated dried leaves) can be crushed and applied directly to the skin as a poultice.
A nice, rehydrating electrolyte drink can be made using Marshmallow tea. Cool the tea in the refrigerator and add a splash of lemon juice, a couple ounces of fruit juice, and a pinch of salt. In the mid-1800s, small candy stores in France began making marshmallows using the Marshmallow plant, although the tradition dates all the way back to 2000 BC Egypt. Growforagecookferment.com has a nice recipe for making your own marshmallows using Marshmallow root powder. I haven’t done this yet myself, but I’m planning to!
Marshmallow root has a long history of safe use, and some herbalists even say it can be used in small amounts during pregnancy, but always check with your doctor first. The mucilage in Marshmallow can interfere with the digestion and absorption of some medications, so if you are taking supplements or medications, separate them from Marshmallow by at least an hour.
Marshmallow is fun to grow, makes a beautiful addition to your garden, and offers a variety of medicinal uses. If you would like to learn more about adding herbs to your garden, check out my free online class “Herbs for the Michigan Gardener” which covers 20 different medicinal and culinary herbs suited for the southeast Michigan garden. It’s pre-recorded so you can watch at your own pace. Visit CastleRemedies.com and click on “Classes.”
Caitlin Potere is an herbalist and enthusiastic Project Grow community gardener. She has been studying herbs for over a decade and has completed programs with herbalists Jim McDonald and David Winston. Potere manages Castle Remedies, a holistic pharmacy in Ann Arbor, and is also a coordinator of the annual Great Lakes Herb Faire which takes place in Chelsea, Michigan. You can contact her by email at caitlin@castleremedies.com.
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mcdonald lives in White Lake, with his wife, Stephanie, their three kids, a dog, many cats, and two ferrets. Stephanie is deeply involved in running the business and website, and they “keep doing a little bit better every year.” mcdonald is a very winning fellow – chatty, engaging, tangential, lively, casual. He is a man who has developed a deep love for plants, and it shows. “Plants are awesome,” he says. They are an “intermediary” between nature and humanity.