Blue mallow
StarMalva sylvestris
Synonyms: Malva ambigua var. microphylla
Western Herbalism Properties
Gallery
Botanical Description
Malva sylvestris, the common mallow, is a robust biennial or perennial herb of the family Malvaceae growing 0.5 to 1.2 m tall, with sprawling to erect, often somewhat hairy stems. The leaves are rounded with five to seven shallow, toothed lobes and palmate veining, carried on long stalks. The showy flowers, borne in clusters in the leaf axils through summer, have five notched petals of bright mauve-purple marked with darker veins. The fruit is a flat ring of one-seeded segments, the so-called cheeses. Native to Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia and widely naturalised, common mallow grows on roadsides, waste ground, field margins, banks and disturbed soils. The leaves and flowers are rich in soothing mucilage and have a long history of use in European herbal medicine and as a pot-herb.
Active Constituents
Mucilage (acidic heteropolysaccharides)
PolysaccharideConcentration: ~10-20% of leaf/flower dry weight
Branched uronic-acid-rich polysaccharides (galacturonic and glucuronic acids with rhamnose, arabinose and galactose) that swell in water to form a soothing gel. This mucilage is the basis of mallow's demulcent, emollient and mild anti-inflammatory action, coating irritated mucous membranes of the throat, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract.
Malvin (malvidin 3,5-di-O-glucoside)
AnthocyaninConcentration: Flowers; total anthocyanins ~0.42-7.3% dry weight
The principal blue-violet pigment of the flowers. As an antioxidant flavonoid it scavenges free radicals and contributes to the flower's traditional use in soothing coloured teas; it is largely responsible for the characteristic colour change of the infusion with pH.
Malvidin 3-O-glucoside (oenin) and delphinidin glycosides
AnthocyaninConcentration: Flowers (minor relative to malvin)
Secondary anthocyanin pigments that reinforce the antioxidant capacity of the flower extract and modulate its colour. Reported to contribute to in vitro radical-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activity.
Flavonol glycosides (quercetin and kaempferol glycosides)
FlavonoidConcentration: Leaves, total flavonoids up to ~210 mg/g dry weight
Quercetin- and kaempferol-based glycosides underlie much of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf, inhibiting pro-inflammatory mediators in experimental models and supporting topical use for irritated skin.
Phenolic acids (chlorogenic and caffeic acid derivatives)
Phenolic acidConcentration: Leaves; total phenolics up to ~386 mg/g dry weight
Hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives contributing to the strong antioxidant capacity measured in leaf extracts and to reported anti-ulcerogenic and anti-inflammatory effects of the aqueous extract.
Tocopherols and fatty acids
Lipid / vitamin E isomersConcentration: Higher in seed and green parts
Vitamin E isomers and unsaturated fatty acids add to the antioxidant profile of the plant and its nutritional value as a traditional wild edible green.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Oral medications taken concurrently (general)
As with other mucilage-rich demulcent herbs, the polysaccharide gel can coat the gut lining and theoretically slow or reduce the absorption of drugs taken at the same time.
Clinical note: Separate ingestion of mallow preparations from other oral medications by about 1-2 hours. No clinically significant interactions have been documented in humans.
Preparation Methods
Infusion (herbal tea)
Parts: flowers, leaves
Steep about 1.5-2 g of dried flowers and/or leaves in 150 mL of hot (not boiling) or cold water; a cold macerate for 1-2 hours best preserves the mucilage. Drink 2-3 times daily for dry cough, sore throat and gastric irritation.
Gargle / mouth rinse
Parts: flowers, leaves
Prepare a stronger infusion, allow to cool, and use as a gargle or mouthwash several times daily to soothe inflamed throat, gums and oral mucosa.
Topical cream / poultice
Parts: leaves, flowers
A cream or moist poultice of the leaf/flower extract is applied to irritated, inflamed or eczematous skin for its emollient, soothing effect. Mallow is regarded as very well tolerated with a wide safety margin.
Clinical Studies
Efficacy of Short Term Topical Malva sylvestris L. Cream in Pediatric Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Fifty-one children with atopic dermatitis applied a topical Malva sylvestris extract cream or placebo twice daily for four weeks. The mallow group showed significantly greater improvement in skin thickening, redness and total SCORAD score than placebo, supporting a topical anti-inflammatory/emollient benefit.
Historical Texts
Dioscorides, De Materia Medica
1st century CEPliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia
1st century CECharlemagne, Capitulare de villis
c. 800 CENicholas Culpeper, The English Physitian / Complete Herbal
1653References
- Batiha GE, Tene ST, Teibo JO, et al.. The phytochemical profiling, pharmacological activities, and safety of Malva sylvestris: a review . Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (2023) [DOI]
- Meysami M, Hashempur MH, Kamalinejad M, Emtiazy M. Efficacy of Short Term Topical Malva sylvestris L. Cream in Pediatric Patients with Atopic Dermatitis . Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets (2021) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Blue mallow.
No notes yet.