Musk Mallow, Malva moschata
Description
Malva moschata, the Musk Mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. Growing to about 60 cm tall, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and foliage, and pink saucer-shaped flowers that bloom between June - August. The leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible raw. The leaves and flowers are mild in flavour and are good in salads. A tea can also be made from the leaves, flowers, or roots. Musk Mallow can also be used to make a dye and the stems can be used to make fibre for paper making, textiles and cordage.
Musk Mallow Checklist
Habitat
🌳 Deciduous Woodland edges.
🐑 Grassland, including paddocks, fields and meadows.
🚜 Hedgerows, including field edges.
Season
May - June
Leaves
☘️ Green, heavily-lobed leaves with deeply-toothed edges. Very distinctive.
Flowers
🌷 Large pink-purple five-petalled flowers. Each petal is shaped like a Goldfish tail. The Flowers are delicate and short-lived.
Stem
🌱 Stems are branched, round and slightly ribbed.
Fruit / Seeds
🍏 After flowering round, green pods form on the stems which house the seeds.
Edible Parts
☘️ Leaves
🌷 Flowers
🌱 Stem
🍏 Fruit / Seeds
Aroma / Taste
👃 The Flowers have a musky aroma.
👅 The leaves are mild and pleasant when raw.
ID Notes
🟩 ID Difficulty - Beginner
👀 The delicate five-petalled pink flowers and deeply-lobed leaves are key identifiers of this plant.
👃 The musky scent of the flowers is also a key identifier.
Uses
🥗 Salad - Leaves can be eaten raw in salads.
🌺 Garnish - Flowers can be used as a garnish.
☕️ Beverage - Flowers and leaves can be used to make teas or other drinks.
🍨 Sweet - Flowers can be sugared for cakes and other sweets.
💊 Herbal Remedy - Is often used medicinally.