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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) is the plant that marshmallows came from. It is an introduced perennial that can be found in marshes and wetlands.
Marsh mallow can be identified by its velvety leaves and pale flowers with five petals. Flowers become green, wheel-shaped fruits in early fall.
The entire plant is edible, but extremely mucilaginous. The root was originally used to flavor and set marshmallows.
The plant has also been used medicinally to treat sore throats due to its mucilaginous quality.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.
