Common Mallow

Malva sylvestris

herb

Common or high mallow (Malva sylvestris) is a pretty, bushy, short-lived perennial or biennial, 2 to 4 ft tall, smothered through summer in mauve flowers boldly veined with darker purple. A close relative of marshmallow and hollyhock, it shares their mucilage and their entirely edible nature - leaves, flowers, and the little round seed pods (the "cheeses") are all eaten. It is an old cottage-garden plant, easy from seed, quick to flower, and beloved by bees. Cheerful and undemanding, it self-seeds and reappears readily, making a reliable patch once introduced.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Calendula — A bright, easygoing companion that shares the same sunny, average conditions and pollinator appeal
• Borage — Another quick, bee-friendly cottage herb that pairs well in a mixed edible-flower bed
• Yarrow — A tough, drought-tolerant herb that draws beneficial insects alongside the mallow

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mallow rust →

  The common problem - orange pustules on the leaves; space for airflow, avoid overhead water, and remove affected foliage

• Japanese beetles →

  Hand-pick in the morning; they chew the soft leaves and flowers

• Aphids →

  Hose off colonies; predators keep them in check outdoors

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pick the young leaves and the flowers through summer for fresh use, and gather the immature round seed pods while green and tender. Use the leaves raw in salads or cooked like a mild, mucilaginous green; float the flowers in drinks or scatter them on salads; and dry leaves and flowers for tea. Harvest leaves young, as older ones grow coarse.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Common mallow is fully edible and mildly mucilaginous: the leaves are a soft salad or cooked green high in vitamins A and C, the bright flowers are an edible garnish, and the young seed pods are a nibble. Like its cousin marshmallow it is also dried for gentle teas, and the plant doubles as a long-blooming, bee-friendly cottage flower.