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Mallow
Edible 
Autumn 
Spring 
Summer
A very common weed that can grow up to a metre tall and be found on path edges, roadsides, hedgerows and even open woodland.
| Hedgerow Type | |
| Common Names | Mallow, Round Dock |
| Scientific Name | Malva sylvestris |
| Season Start | Mar |
| Season End | Oct |
Leaves
A five lobed pentagon shaped leaf that can be crinkly.
Flowers
A broad pink to lilac, slightly trumpet shaped flower that opens out to flat. Can be seen from May to September.
Fruit
The fruit are called ‘cheeses’ and resemble the shape of a full counter in Trivial Pursuits!
Habitat
Roadsides, path edges, light woodland, scrub, hedges and waste ground.
Possible Confusion
Geraniums have similar leaves but they have quite a distinctive, inedible smell, Mallow does not really have an odour; the flowers help differentiate between the two as well.
Taste
Neutral.
Frequency
Common.
Collecting
The young seed pods, called ‘cheeses’, can be collected and nibbled while out walking and have a nutty flavour.
The leaves need to be young for a salad, but not so for soups and stews, or they can be deep fried and puff up like prawn crackers.
The flowers can be used in salads where they will impart no flavour but add a bright splash of colour.
Immature seeds pods are often called ‘cheeses’ can be eaten raw as a nibble and have a pleasant nutty flavour. They can also be lightly steamed and served as a vegetable. Mallow cheeses can be steamed, lightly
Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-entry.php?term=Common%20Mallow
Copyright © celtnet
Immature seeds pods are often called ‘cheeses’ can be eaten raw as a nibble and have a pleasant nutty flavour. They can also be lightly steamed and served as a vegetable. Mallow cheeses can be steamed, lightly
Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-entry.php?term=Common%20Mallow
Immature seeds pods are often called ‘cheeses’ can be eaten raw as a nibble and have a pleasant nutty
Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-entry.php?term=Common%20Mallow
Copyright © celtnet
Immature seeds pods are often called ‘cheeses’ can be eaten raw as a nibble and have a pleasant nutty
Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/ancient/wild-food-entry.php?term=Common%20Mallow
Copyright © celtnet
Medicinal Uses
Can be used as a laxative or as a poultice for external wounds.
Other Facts
Can be used as a yellow, cream or green dye.
Members of the Mallow family have a special fungal pathogen, called Mallow Rust (Puccinia malvacearum). The undersides of the leaves are dotted with the rusty orange-yellow coloured uredinia, (see picture). Uredinia are pustules which form from a mass of hyphae and spores of a rust fungus, which then rupture the host’s cuticle. Mallow Rust is a common fungal disease in the UK.
9 comments for Mallow
Can you grow these in your garden?
Mallow grows easily and can be grown from seed for the garden.
Good evening,
I wonder if can buy some Mallow leaves and seeds from you?
Can you please tell me what’s your full address and opening hours?
Also the cost if I want to get it delivered.
Kind regards,
Yousef Nayef
(Birmingham)
Hi Yousef, I don’t have any seeds but it is a common plant, so come early summer it should have started to flower and seed somewhere near you.
buy some Mallow leaves and seeds from you? slot77
Can you please tell me
We teach people how to identify plants and mushrooms, we don’t sell plants, mushrooms or seeds. If you use our guide, you should be able to find and identify mallow, it is a very common plant.
Is it common for the stems to have “splatter” markings, similar to hemlock? I found some today, growing alongside hemlock, and it had the same patterning on the stem, but not to the same extent (it was definitely the mallow stem, as I checked, and it was hairy). I found more with the same pattern, but not growing with hemlock. And then more again, but this time without the patterning. I was just wondering what the chances of it hybridising are.
I have a plant which is identifying as Mallow but it’s a white flower do they occur in white ?
Mallow can have white flowers, it can come in many colours, mainly down to hybridisation.