I have had some trouble writing these this year. I get a post started, begin my research, then then I never finish them. This week I finally stopped organizing my house and sat down to finish the several herb of the week posts I began back in January.
Today we are focusing on a wonderfully medicinal herb that does not get much attention. And if you have a wet area in your yard and like late summer flower, this plant is perfect for you!
This week's
HERB of the WEEK is Marsh Mallow (Althaea officinlis)
This plant is related to Hollyhock and looks very similar, but it does not have as striking a flower. It’s been used for centuries in a
broad range of ways. The genus name comes
from the Greek, altho, meaning "to cure." The family name,
Malvaceae, is also of Greek derivation, from malake, meaning soft, both indicating
the emollient, healing properties of this plant, which have long been
recognized. Pliny remarked: "Whosoever shall take a spoonful of Mallows
shall that day be free from all diseases that may come to him." Early
recorded uses include poultices to reduce inflammation and spongy lozenges to
soothe coughs and sore throats - from which the modern confectionery is
descended, though it no longer contains any of the herb. Marshmallow root was
eaten as a vegetable by the Romans and in many Middle Eastern and European countries
was a standby in times of famine when
food was scarce. In more recent times it was a springtime country tradition to
eat the young shoots, or make them into a syrup, to "purify the
blood".
To Grow
A hardy perennial with tall stems
covered with soft, downy leaves and pale pink flowers clustered at the leaf
axils in late summer. It reaches 3 to 4 ft in height. It has large, fleshy
taproots and seed head or fruit that is ring-shaped with a ring of seeds called
cheeses. It grows in salt marshes, near sea coasts and in moist in land areas, throughout
Europe, in temperate regions of Asia, North America and Australia.
It prefers moist to wet soil and a
sunny situation. Propagated by division in autumn or by
seed sown in late summer. Seed is not often recommended, as germination
is often erratic, but you can sow it
shallowly outdoors in spring, thinning the plants to 2 feet when they germinate.
To propagate from the root divide the rhizomes or take cuttings from foliage or roots
in the fall.
The
velvety foliage will die back to the ground in the fall.
To Use
One can use the seeds, leaves,
roots, and flowers. Harvest the leaves in fall just before flowering. Collect and dry flowers at their peak. Dig taproots in fall from plants at least 2
years old, scrub them and cook them like potatoes or slice before drying. If you want them dried, cut the roots into pieces while they are fresh. Once dry they are very, very hard.
Use leaves to add a fresh flavor to
salads, or slice and cook the roots like a potato. The roots were originally used to produce the
sticky substance with consistency typical of the confection marshmallows.
The roots contain natural sugars
and were used in early medicinal sweets and the original recipe for marshmallow
treat. At one time the young roots and leaves were boiled, then fried with
onions as a spring vegetable, or added to salads- but neither is very
palatable.
All plants of the mallow family
contain mucilage. Marshmallow has the
most. The whole herb contains a sweet
mucilage that is soothing and softening.
It relieves inflamed gums and mouth, gastric ulcers, diarrhea, bronchial
infections and coughs. Leaves and roots can be applied externally as a poultice
to soothe and reduce the heat in ulcers, boils, inflammation of the skin and
insect bites. It is used in cosmetics
for weather damaged skin.
According to Rosemary Floret marshmallow
roots are typically prepared using cold water. Marshmallow roots are high in
polysaccharides and starches. By using a cold infusion you extract mainly the
mucilaginous polysaccharides. If you simmer the root you also extract the
starches in the plant.
Cold Marshmallow Infusion (Tea)
a jar and lid
marshmallow root
lukewarm water
To make this preparation, simply
fill a jar 1/4 of the way with marshmallow root.
Just cover with luke warm water, place the lid on the jar and let steep for lat
least 4 hours. Remove the roots and use
the resulting liquid which will change color to a soft yellow. And be thick
and viscous.
Once you have this liquid you can
use it in the following ways:
- Mouth
Wash - Use it to treat painful mouth
conditions like mouth ulcers, canker sores, cuts on the inside of the cheeks,
inflamed gums and even sore throats are soothed with a marshmallow rinse.
Simply swish the cold infused tea around in your mouth to coat the affected
tissues.
- Heartburn home remedy - Use
this cold infusion to find relief from heartburn, peptic ulcers, and inflamed
intestines. Besides being able to soothe inflammation, marshmallow root can
also heal wounds within the digestive
tract.
- Skin
Wash – As a topical treatment for wounds and burns, it has been known to prevent
gangrene.
RECIPES
Marshmallows can be made adding eggs and food coloring to to the gelatinous liquid produced by steeping or boiling the roots. There is a great recipe available from Rosmary Floret at Learning Herbs.com Here is the connection.
I have made various teas with the roots, leaves and flowers harvested from marshmallow. Here are a few of those recipes.
Heartburn Tea
3 parts Marshmallow Root
2 parts Marshmallow Leaf
1 part Spearmint Leaf
Blend herbs and keep in an airtight container. Use 1 to 2 tsp. per cup pf hot water and steep for 7 to 10 minutes. Sip slowly to alleviate heartburn.
Soothing Throat herbal tea
Linden flowers
elder flowers
rose
hips
plantain
marsh mallow flowers
Combine herbs in equal amounts in an airtight container. Use 1 to 2 tsp. per cup pf hot water and steep for 7 to 10 minutes. Many medicinal benefits in this blend of plants and flowers makes it perfect for sore throats and as a boost in immunity.
Marshmallow salve for dry skin
Marshmallow roots, leaves and flowers
8 ounces of base oil (jojoba, coconut, olive, almond or walnut oil)
Place the herbs in a glass jar. Add the oil, being sure to cover all the herbs. Place the jar in a pan of warm water and simmer on low heat for about 8 hours allowing the marshmallow to infuse into the oil. Use this oil as a topical on dry skin or make into a simple salve.
To make a simple salve, grate up some beeswax and add
it to the hot infused oil, stirring continuously until it melts. (About 1oz
beeswax to 8 fluid ozs of oil) Test on the back of a wooden spoon to see
whether it is of a suitable consistency, then pour into small jars and seal. If
you are not confident to do the spoon test, an easier way of checking is to
drop a very small amount of oil plus melted wax into cold water in a small bowl
or mug. The salve will immediately cool and you can rub it between your fingers
to check the desired thickness.
The salve will thicken on cooling, usually from the bottom upwards if you pour
into cold jars. It will usually be a paler color than the original oil.
Cough
Relief Herbal Blend
This is a rather elaborate tea blend, but it will work on a multitude of different types of coughs and bronchial issues. You can make it in advance and use all winter!
4 parts Peppermint Leaf
2
parts each:
Red Clover Blossoms
Horehound
Mullein Leaf
Nettle Leaf
Echinacea Purpurea Leaf
Marshmallow Root
1 part each:
Thyme
White Pine Bark
Elecampane Root
Echinacea Purpurea Root
Wild Cherry Bark
Licorice Root
Combine herbs and keep in a airtight jar. Brew 1 to 2 tsp of mixture per cup of hot water and sip to sooth coughing and throat issues.
Sources:
Rodale’s Successful Organic Herb
Gardening Herbs by Patrica Michalak (Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA: 1993)
Herbs by Leslie Bremness (Dorling
& Kindersley Books, London: 2000)
http://learningherbs.com/remedies-recipes/marshmallow-root/
Copyright © 2016 LearningHerbs
This side garden is for cutting and wild flowers, but the soil is not warm enough yet to germinate the seed, so I have not actually planted anything!
This side garden is for cutting and wild flowers, but the soil is not warm enough yet to germinate the seed, so I have not actually planted anything!
