Malva Sylvestris L

Malva Sylvestris L  Flower and Medicinal Herb Malva Sylvestris. A biennial, 24" tall, with spikes of open pink-to-lavender blossoms striped with dark red. An utterly charming, cottage garden favorite. Very easily grown, short-lived perennials often grown as ornamental plants. Mild tasting young mallow leaves can be a substitute for lettuce, whereas older leaves are better cooked as a leafy green vegetable. The buds and flowers can be used in salads. It also has emollient properties for softening the skin.  Approximately 125 seeds.

This attractive flamboyant wild flower produces flowers consisting of five vivid-pink petals marked with dark stripes. on repeatedly dividing hairy stems. It is a lovely, trouble-free plant to naturalise, or for a wild garden or even a dry bank where it will positively thrive. As with many wild food plants, the common mallow has also had a long history of medicinal use. Due to its high mucilage content, mallows make excellent soothing demulcent herbs, especially for cases of inflammation, either for the urinary, digestive or respiratory systems.

SOWING ADVICE

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at apprx 60 F. Sow seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.