Musk Mallow

Malva moschata

Plant Data

Order:

Malvales

Family:

Malvaceae (Mallow)

Type:

Flower

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Flower:

Variable in colour, 5 petals

Usually rose-pink but sometimes white, in loose spikes, up to 6cm. 5 notched petals.

Fruit:

A disc-shaped nutlet (schizocarp), up to 6mm in diameter.

Leaves:

Hairy and deeply lobed leaves.

Maximum Size:

75 centimetres tall

Foraging Notes:

The leaves can be eaten, raw or cooked and make a good substitute for lettuce in salads. They can also be used as a soup thickener. The flowers can be added to salads too, also raw. The seeds can be eaten raw.
Never consume a wild plant unless you are 100% certain that it is safe to eat and you know that you have identified it correctly.

Aroma:

Musky-scented flowers.

Other Names:

Rose Mallow.

Frequency (UK):

Occasionally seen

Habitats:

Gardens, grassland, hedgerows, meadows, roadsides, scrub, wasteland.