A soft breath; Into the Root of Marshmallow

Words from a medical herbalist on the medicinal qualities of Marshmallow root in soothing a dry cough. 

Name: Althaea officinalis L.

Synonyms: Malva althaea E.H.L.Krause, Malva matitma Salisb., Malva officinalis (L.) K.F.Schimp. & Spenn.

Family: Malvaceae 

(Althaea officinalis L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science, 2019) 

This article is for educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice. Email student514775@medical.com to speak to me, a medical herbalist or look at /nimh.org.uk/find-a-herbalist/ to use herbs medicinally.

In the early spring, as the soil warms and life re-emerges after winter young marshmallow leaves begin to appear. In the summer, the soft velvet leaves are followed by delicate blooms on tall stems (Royal Horticultural Society, 2024)  . 

Marshmallow was an anti-inflammatory herb in ancient Greek and Roman medicine and over 2000 years of recorded use in Europe, earned Marshmallow's reputation as a trusted healer with a rich tradition of global and historical use (Deni Bown & Royal Horticultural Society, 2003).

Understanding a Dry Cough

A cough is a reflex action that clears the airways. A productive cough brings up mucus and when it does not it is a dry cough (Peters, 2007). Dry coughs can be caused by short-term bacterial and viral infections. A dry cough caused by  an infection should clear within 3 weeks. (Birrer et al., 2016). Irritable persistent coughing causes discomfort and stress on the vocal cords and throat, triggering a tickling sensation (Parker et al., 2023).

Opening the medicine box…

Actions: Demulcent, Anti-tussive (prevent coughing), anti-inflammatory & vulnerary (healing skin) (McIntyre, 2019). 

Marshmallow root is an anti-inflammatory and demulcent herb. It is rich in polysaccharides that when exposed to water produce large amounts of mucilage content (Zeinab Bahari et al., 2025) ; a thick gelatinous substance that coats the throat relieving symptoms of a dry cough whilst protecting mucosal linings (EMA, 2021). 

Marshmallow root is often prepared as a cold water maceration by soaking the chopped root in water for up to 12 hours so the medicinal mucilage is extracted. The mucilage rich liquid is strained with a cheesecloth and often mixed with honey/ syrup for a soothing preparation (Bone & Mills, 2013). 

For something different, ‘Eat Weeds’ has a recipe for turning this herb into marshmallow confectionery (Harford, 2025). https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/wild-marshmallow-vegan-recipe 

Marshmallow root lines the gastro-intestinal tract therefore delaying the absorption of medication. Leave a 1-2 hour gap between ingesting marshmallows and medications. (McIntyre, 2019). 

This herb  is a European wetland native. Despite growing well in the UK, little commercial marshmallow is grown here. It is a non-threatened wild species (Khela, 2026)  however, it is illegal to harvest any root from the wild (The Theft Act 1968 (Section 4), 1968) and research shows a huge concern for pesticide contaminated wild crafted products, particularly those involving roots (Patrick J. Sullivan et al., 2005). 

Marshmallow is straight forward to grow from seed (How to Grow Marsh Mallow Plant, n.d.) and a growing guide is available at the gardeners world webpage - https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/marshmallow-plant-althaea-officinalis/?srsltid=AU7gw4UudYEoQEpQWuspLGNl22909JkZWPFlgK7fh-XUW1JBrqD2571h . 

There are reputable suppliers of marshmallow powder such as ‘Five Bee’s Farm’ at https://www.fivebeesfarm.co.uk/marshmallow-root.

Thanks for reading! If you want to learn more sign up for my newsletter or visit Betonica.co.uk. 

By Student 514775

Reference List

Althaea officinalis L. | plants of the world online | kew science. (2019). Plants of the World Online. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:558872-1

Birrer, R. B., O’connor, F. G., & Kane, S. F. (2016). Musculoskeletal and sports medicine for the primary care practitioner (3rd ed.). Crc Press, Taylor & Francis Group.

Bone, K., & Mills, S. (2013). Principles and practice of phytotherapy: Modern herbal medicine (2nd ed.). Edinburgh Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.

Deni Bown, & Royal Horticultural Society. (2003). The Royal Horticultural Society encyclopedia of herbs & their uses. Dorling Kindersley.

EMA. (2021, November 3). Althaeae radix - European Medicines Agency. European Medicines Agency. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/althaeae-radix

Harford, R. (2025, November 5). Wild marshmallow vegan recipe. Robin Harford from Eatweeds. Http s://www.eatweeds.co.uk/wild-marshmallow-vegan-recipe

How to grow marshmallow plant. (n.d.). BBC Gardeners World Magazine. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/marshmallow-plant-althaea-officinalis/

Khela, S. (2026). Althaea officinalis. The IUCN red list of threatened species 2013: E.T202921A2758027. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/202921/2758027

McIntyre, A. (2019). The complete herbal tutor the definitive guide to the principles and practices of herbal medicine - second edition. Aeon Books.

Parker, S. M., Smith, J. A., Birring, S. S., Chamberlain-Mitchell, S., Gruffydd-Jones, K., Haines, J., Hennessey, S., McGarvey, L. P., Marsden, P., Martin, M. J., Morice, A., O’Hara, J., & Thomas, M. (2023). British thoracic society clinical statement on chronic cough in adults. Thorax, 78(Suppl 6), s3–s19. https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2023-220592

Patrick J. Sullivan, Agardy, F. J., & Clark, J. J. J. (2005). The environmental science of drinking water. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Peters, M. (2007). Illustrated medical dictionary. Dorling Kindersley.

Royal Horticultural Society. (2024a). Althaea officinalis | marsh mallow herbaceous perennial/RHS. Rhs.Org.Uk. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/1024/althaea-officinalis/details

Royal Horticultural Society. (2024b). Althaea officinalis | marsh mallow herbaceous perennial/RHS. Rhs.Org.Uk. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/1024/althaea-officinalis/details

The Theft Act 1968 (Section 4) (1968).

Zeinab Bahari, Saidi, A., Anwar, F., Masoud Tohidfar, Abdolali Shojaeiyan, Ahmad, N., & Wissem Mnif. (2025). High-value phytochemicals and nutra-pharmaceutical prospects of Althaea officinalis L. (marshmallow). A review. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 67, 103601–103601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103601

Images:

Illustrations are stock art with permission granted for usage from www.canva.com

Photos are by the author.

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