Marshmallow: Medicine Among the Weeds

Most of us Utah natives know marshmallow (Malva neglecta) as a pesky weed that inundates our yards, gardens or landscaping beds. We don’t even need a green thumb to grow it. If you’re like me, I’ve spend lots of time trying to eliminate it when as Dr. Christopher once said, “after a few days, it starts back up
through the soil, smilingly asking you, “Well, stupid, here we come again; haven’t you learned yet how we can help you?” I think it would be pleased to know that this year I finally stopped to learn what this humble weed has to offer. 

Before marshmallow became more commonly known as the gooey sugary treat holding two graham crackers and a
chocolate bar together, in Medieval times Marshmallow was known as the cure-all medicinal herb treating many conditions from teething in infants, simple stomach aches, to complications in childbirth. Marshmallow is an excellent healing mucilage, internally soothing to the throat and the digestive tract that houses two of our most important immune system organs – the tonsils and the appendix. Drinking an infusion of marshmallow herb brings much needed moisture and healing to these organs during
colds, sore throats, bronchitis, upset stomachs and digestive problems. Just cutting the stem of this incredibly drought-hardy plant releases its mucusy medicine that Dr. Christopher used successfully as a tonic and even in treating gangrene. Marshmallow isn’t typically thought of as a tonic or an immune stimulant but an old fashioned herbalist once said, “Whosoever shall take a spoonful of the Mallows shall that day be free from all diseases that may come to him.” So maybe instead of an apple,
a mallow a day should keep the doctor away.

In recent months I’ve had a very different use for this humble weed.  My twelve-year-old son gets growing pains in his legs quite frequently as he’s grown. My husband and I have raised our kids using herbal medicine to cure just about any ailment and until recently our successful routine of using
Dr. Christopher’s Complete Tissue and Bone and Herbal Calcium formulas no longer seemed to make a dent in his excruciating growing pains. 

While studying for one of my master herbalist courses I was reading in A Modern Herbal about marshmallow being “effective in curing bruises, sprains, or any ache in the muscles or sinews.”
The word sinews caught my attention. I then realized that my son’s pains were always along a tendon in the front of his leg and I’ll admit I hoped for another growing pain just so I could try marshmallow on it. Days later his school called asking me to pick my son up because of a growing pain he was having. I rushed (all too eagerly) to the school and brought my marshmallow tincture with me and gave him one dropperful orally before driving home. His pain started decreasing pretty quickly and by
the time we got home, his pain was very minimal. So far so good! I continued the marshmallow treatment by making a decoction of two marshmallow plants that my son noticed growing very early in the season in our garden. I thanked them and agreed that I would never let a season go without harvesting this wonderful plant. I dug both plants up, roots and all. 

 I made a decoction, simmering the chopped roots of the plant, and applied a fomentation to his leg, alternating hot and cold applications for about 30 minutes before the pain was completely gone. Since then, we’ve continued to use marshmallow tincture internally as a wonderful calcium tonic and his growing pains have not yet returned. Herbs seem to have a way of communicating their purpose to the unknowing human, it’s our
job to listen and learn. So, before you pull this pesky weed, ask yourself first, “have I learned yet what it has to offer?” 

References

Christopher, John R. 2010 Herb Syllabus. Christopher Publications. 

Grieve, Margaret. 2022 A Modern Herbal, Volume II. Dover Publications.