Marshmallow

A UK native perennial with mucilaginous roots used by herbalists for relieving dry coughs and irritable digestion, or for making a comforting herbal tea to relax an agitated mind.

Marshmallow is one of the kindest yet strongest plants there is. The leaf is very soft and strokable. The ascendant stems are firm yet flexible, yielding with the wind. The roots are fat and chunky, holding their healing-mucilage. And the flowers, a treat for the eyes and the salad bowl.

As the name suggests, marshmallow is happy in (but not limited to) wet, heavy soils, and is well suited to the more boggy parts of the garden that many herbs would rather avoid. It is one of our taller plants, growing to well over 2m, so is best positioned at the back of a bed.

The leaves can be harvested from the first year, but you’ll need to wait until the autumn of the 2nd or the even the 3rd year before harvesting the root.