No, I am not growing candy in the garden, but wouldn’t that be a notion?
I am hoping to grow the plant marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). I may be a bit late in starting this endeavor. Marsh mallow seedings like a cold start. Note to self, sow marsh mallow seeds during the damp and cool early days of spring.
Last season I found a recipe for a skin salve that I fell in love with. I tweaked the formula and made salve with a calendula infusion as the base. The salve was perfect as it was, but I have never forgotten marsh mallow.
The roots of the marsh mallow plant were indeed used in the past to make the gooey, soft, springy marsh mallows that we can now purchase in the grocery store.
Beyond candy, marsh mallow root (and leaves) can be used externally for skin inflammation and irritation, mild burns, and some say it helps the dermal structure of the skin. It can also be used in the hair to help with detangling during washing.
When using any herb or botanical it is best to do thorough homework. Things to know: Can use of the plant cause any side effects? Can it safely be mixed with other materials? What is its shelf life? What is the safe usage amount (at what dilution rate)? Just because it is natural does not mean it is safe.
As always, I stake no medicinal claims to any of my products (hence the statement located on the sidebar of my blog).
I hope to continue growing the herb garden. It is tiny in comparison to what I eventually will transplant to, but for now, it is a start. I am enjoying the growing and learning. It seems to be endless.
The only marshmallow I have heard of is the white fluffy things you roast on the end of a stick.
I’ll have to do some studying up on that one.
The marsh mallow seedlings have sprouted. They poppped up within a few days of sowing the seeds. I hope to write about the plant later, hoping it gets used for a tinture or infusion, and then in a salve of some sort.