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Althaea
Also called Marsh Mallow, Marshmallows, Marsh Mallows
Althaea is a genus of hardy herbaceous perennials from Europe, North Africa and western Asia, including the marshmallow plant (Althaea officinalis), grown in gardens and by the water's edge. Give them moist, well-drained soil in full sun and they reward you with tall summer flowers.
Althaea is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It includes Althaea officinalis, also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt marshes, preferring moist, sandy soils. The stems grow to 1–2 m tall, and flower in mid summer. The leaves are palmately lobed with 3–7 lobes. Althaea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix quadrigemina.
The traditional medicinal uses of the plant are reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the Greek althainein, meaning "to heal".
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Althaea (plant) by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
