{"id":6985,"date":"2021-02-05T21:42:22","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T21:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wondermentgardens.com\/?p=6985"},"modified":"2021-02-06T23:02:03","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T23:02:03","slug":"introducing-the-mallows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wondermentgardens.com\/introducing-the-mallows\/","title":{"rendered":"Introducing the Mallows \u2013 True friends indeed"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), Common Mallow (Malva neglecta), Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), and Hollyhock (Alcea rosea). <\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today we are talking about a group of mucilaginous demulcents in the Mallow or Malvaceae family.\u00a0 Marshmallow (Althaea Officinalis), Common Mallow (Malva Neglecta), Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), and Hollyhock (Alcea rosea), all share similar properties and uses. There are probably more Malva species used in similar ways, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The following article contains affiliate links.\u00a0 That means, if you purchase a product through one of the links, I make a commission, at no additional cost to you.\u00a0 I appreciate it each time you click on or make a purchase from one of my links.\u00a0 \u00a0Thank you for your support.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\tTable of Contents<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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    <\/ol>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\tAdd a header to begin generating the table of contents<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Family \u2013 Malvaceae<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Many people familiar with herbalism have heard of Marshmallow root (Althea Officinalis). Officinalis<\/em> means an official medicinal variety. As an official representative of this class or group of herbs, Marshmallow is the plant of choice for commerce, (the one most often seen in stores.) However, that doesn\u2019t mean Marshmallow is the only mallow plant with these specific properties or even that it\u2019s the best; it simply means Althaea officinalis is the most cultivated and documented variety. Other common mallows having similar traits grow wild or in the garden. Today we will be grouping them together, Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea), Hollyhock (Alcea rosea), and Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) because they can all be used interchangeably for the most part.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    How do you know which one to use? It depends on where you live and what is growing in your region. If you are ordering herbs online or purchasing from a store, you\u2019ll probably get Marshmallow root. If you have a garden, chances are you have Common Mallow. Hollyhock is common in flower gardens across the United States. Globemallow is found throughout the west, both north and south.<\/p>

    All are great cooling, soothing and moisturizing herbs.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Common Mallow Distribution Map<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Globemallow Distribution Map<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Marshmallow\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Marshmallow Distribution Map<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Plant Descriptions<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Marshmallow (Althea officinalis)<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Marshmallow\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Marshmallow is an herbaceous perennial, native to Europe and Western Asia. Endangered in Europe, the plant has naturalized in the eastern United States, especially in the marshy areas around Massachusetts and Virginia.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

    This is a bushy plant growing between 2 and 4 feet tall. It has erect-branching stems and soft down covering the leaves and stems. The leaves are simple, alternate, and serrated, with 3 to 5 lobes (as in the picture.) Veins on the leaves are elevated on the underside of the underside.\u00a0<\/p>

    Flowers are simple, 5-petaled and range in color from light pink to white. They are usually 1 to 1 \u00bd inches across and appear singularly or in small batches at a single node. The stamen column at the center of the flower is rather stout and can contain 13 or more stamens. Marshmallow blooms from between June to August, depending on its location.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) <\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Hollyhock is a popular flowering biennial found in many gardens across the United States. It\u2019s usually tall, (up to 8 feet,) and thinner or less bushy than Marshmallow with brightly colored flowers, an overall a more robust plant.\u00a0<\/p>

    Hollyhock arises from a stout central unbranching stem. The leaves are alternate and oval or palmately-lobed with 3 to 7 blunt lobes. The upper surface of the leaves is only sometimes soft with slightly pubescent hairs or hairless with fine veins. The underside of the leaves is light green with soft downy hairs.<\/p>

    The central stem terminates in a spike-like raceme of flowers. Axillary flowers are often produced from the axils of the upper leaves. The flowers occur individually or in small clusters along the central stem, nodding sideways from short hairy pedicels. Each flower is about 3-5″ wide. Hollyhock has a long taproot that is light-colored on the inside and darker brown on the outside. This plant readily reseeds itself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Hollyhock\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Globemallow,\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    A long-lived perennial, Sphaeralcea coccinea is a pretty, little orange flower topping a plant that grows from 6 inches tall in the north, to up to 4 feet in some places like Arizona. The taller version is quite bushy with the leaves although smaller, still resembling those of the Hollyhock and Marshmallow. The whole plant is covered with hairs but is much more course and wiry than its cousins.\u00a0 The flowers are built the same way but may only be \u00bd inch to 1 inch wide appearing either in terminal spikes or as individual flowers, depending on the variety and location.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Taller Globe Mallow is a stout bushy plant with a woody main taproot. The taproot may dive deeply into the earth before it divides into lateral. Growth begins in March and April, flowering in May to July.\u00a0 \u00a0Earlier in the southwestern deserts, this plant is often seen flowering in March.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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