Malva excisa

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −34.4 °C

Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil. A very ornamental plant. This species is closely related to M. alcea. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. Prone to infestation by rust fungus.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in early spring in a cold frame. The seed germinates quickly and easily. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in their permanent positions in the early summer[K]. If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the middle to late spring. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. A mild pleasant flavour. Mucilaginous and fairly bland, it makes a good lettuce substitute in salads[K]. Flowers - raw[K]. A very decorative addition to the salad bowl, they have a mild flavour and a similar texture to the leaves[K]. Seed - raw. Best used before it is fully mature, the seed has a pleasant nutty taste but it is rather small and fiddly to harvest[K].

Medicinal uses

The leaves are demulcent. They are also used as a mouthwash for inflammatory and catarrhal conditions.

Material uses

A fibre obtained from the stem is used for making cordage. Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads. The seed yields 15% oil, the uses have not been given though it is almost certainly edible.