A native of Europe, this beautiful perennial is now widely naturalized here in fields, old gardens, and along roadsides. The highly dissected leaves and the hairy ring of fruit segments are distinctive. European Mallow (M. alcea) differs only in having little star-like clusters of hairs on the stems.

Pink (sometimes white or lavender), musk-scented flowers are in scattered groups at ends of branches. 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) wide. Petals 5, notched, wedge-shaped; stamens many, fused into column around style with anthers protruding along column. 3-4" (7.5-10 cm) wide; palmately dissected into very narrow toothed lobes.
Fruit: circular, hairy, doughnut-like cluster of segments.

The flowers are used in salads, and the leaves and young shoots which contain vitamins A, B, and C, are boiled as a vegetable. The roots and leaves are added to soothing skin ointments and cough syrups. Soaking the roots in water will produce a gel called mucilage which can then be easily applied to soothe cuts, bruises and burns.

Marsh Mallow contains starch, mucilage, pectin, oil, sugar, asparagin, phosphate of lime, glutinous matter and cellulose.

The great demulcent and emollient properties of Marsh Mallow make it useful in inflammation and irritation of the alimentary canal, and of the urinary and respiratory organs. It is widly used for the irritation on skin. The dry roots boiled in water give out half their weight of a gummy matter like starch. Decoctions of the plant, especially of the root, are very useful where the natural mucus has been abraded from the coats of the intestines, The decoction can be made by adding 5 pints of water to 1/4 lb. of dried root, boiling down to 3 pints and straining: it should not be made too thick and viscid. It is excellent in painful complaints of the urinary organs, exerting a relaxing effect upon the passages, as well as acting curatively. This decoction is also effective in curing bruises, sprains or any ache in the muscles or sinews. In haemorrhage from the urinary organs and in dysentery, it has been recommended to use the powdered root boiled in milk. The action of Marsh Mallow root upon the bowels is unaccompanied by any astringency.