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Althaea officinalis (Marshmallow)

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Helpful articles

Planning your garden. Learn how to design a garden using a step-by-step approach.

Dealing with possums in the garden.

Grevilleas for Cold Climates. Live in a colder part of Australia. These grevilleas for can handle it.

Best Australian natives for pots & small gardens. The trend towards smaller gardens has inspired the plant lovers in the nursery industry to respond with an ever-increasing range of Australian plants that will delight those who want to attract birds and butterflies and bring a little bit of the bush onto their balconies. From banksias to bottlebrush there are plants that will add colour and texture to provide year round interest.

Plant description

althaea officinalis marshmallow 1

althaea officinalis marshmallow 2

Althaea officinalis, marshmallow, is a hardy perennial ornamental and medicinal plant with cream to pale pink flowers in summer and autumn. The leaves are furry and heart shaped which are lovely and tactile. Grows best in a moist and humus rich soil. Frost hardy, and may die down in winter, and the stems should be cut back in this case. Can grow to around a metre or so tall. The flowers and yound leaves are edible, and can be used in salads. The roots are medicinal, and are best from older plants. They can be used to soothe sore throats and skin, either as a tea or as a poultice. Powdered roots were used to make marshmallow confectionary.

Propagation is by seed sown in spring, or by division.

Additional plant information

Flowers

Flower colour: cream
Flowering season: summer autumn

Plant size

Maximum height: 1.2 metres
Minimum height: 0.5 metres

Maximum width: 0.5 metres
Minimum width: 0.2 metres

Sunlight, frost & salt tolerance

This plant will tolerate full or partial sunlight.
High frost tolerance.
Plant is salt tolerant.

Fauna attracting?

Not specified.

Climate

This plant species will grow in the following climates: cool, temperate.

Soil types & conditions

Loam: moist, well-drained.

Clay: moist.

Sand: moist.

Pests

Caterpillars, beetles

Miscellaneous information

Planting season: Spring.

Types of fertiliser: Good general purpose fertiliser.

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