Hi friends! My book, “Four-Season Food Gardening” is available for preorder now, link below. Thank you so much for your support! Have a great day! ❤️ Misilla Pre-order ➡️ Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qNHdtW 🌸This edible and short-lived perennial is one of my favorites, not just for its beauty but also for its resiliency and prolificacy. ❌Avoid letting it seed freely as it can spread throughout the garden. 🌸Malva sylvestris is a common mallow. Also known as French Hollyhock, Wood Mallow, Tree Mallow, which is in the mallow family (Malvaceae), a cousin of Hibiscus and Hollyhock. 🌍Malva is native to Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia and has a history of being a survival food during hard times. ❄️A hardy perennial to zones 4 to 8 or down to -30 F. Soil requirements: Neutral, acidic or alkaline, well drained, loam and moist soil. Does well in full sun or part shade. 💜The vibrant purple blossoms attract pollinators such as bees, wasps, butterflies and hummingbirds, and is deer resistant. Most of the plant parts are edible from the flowers, leaves, seeds as well as the roots. The disc-shaped seeds have a nutty flavor and can be sprouted. 🍲🥗Seeds and roots can be added to soups and stews. 🌸🌸The flowers are a good source of anthocyanins, which is a powerful antioxidant and can be used for tea or added to salads. 💜Anthocyanin is a water-soluble pigment that gives the purple hue of Malva flowers which is also found in other edible crops such red cabbage, plums, Redbor kale, eggplant, and purple carrots to name a few. ✅Malva contains vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, inulin, fiber, phenol, flavonoids and is a mucilage. ✳️Malva sylvestris is said to have medicinal properties and may help soothe throat and mouth irritations as well as stomach and urinary complaints. The leaves can be used in a poultice- warm moist dressing to treat wounds. Happy Gardening!💜🌱 *Please do your own research and consult with your physician before consuming herbs for medicinal purposes. Estepona Gardener Estepona Gardening