Althaea officinalis Marsh-mallow

Althaea officinalis, Marsh-mallow, is a perennial species of the upper saltmarsh. It is an attractive plant that grows up to about 1m tall, with soft, grey-green, shallow-lobed leaves and large, 5-petalled, pink flowers which appear in late summer. It is unmistakable in its habitat and often grows in conspicuous stands made up of large clumps of plants. A medical confection made from boiling the spongy roots of Marsh-mallow and sweetened with honey was probably the original marshmallow that is familiar today as a confectionary or cookery ingredient, although it is not mass-produced from the Marsh-mallow plant anymore.

The flowers, seeds, foliage and roots of Marsh-mallow support a rich assemblage of invertebrates. Among the more notable species associated with the plant is the Marsh-mallow Weevil Aspidapion soror, which can be super-abundant on the seed heads in autumn. The Burry Inlet is the only site in Wales where this Nationally Rare weevil occurs, the only three other British sites being in the south of England.

Native