Musk mallow
Malva moschata has deeply cut leaves and pale pink flowers; also edible.
Use the botanical sourceCulinary reference
Common mallow.
Malva sylvestris
Also found as Tall mallow
A roadside mallow with round lobed leaves and pink-purple flowers with dark veins.
Sources checked 27 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Can accumulate nitrate in fertilized soils.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 34,574
- People who recorded it
- 16,208
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- May–Jul
- Records span
- 1971–2026
| January | 318 |
|---|---|
| February | 478 |
| March | 764 |
| April | 2344 |
| May | 5295 |
| June | 9244 |
| July | 5516 |
| August | 3923 |
| September | 2524 |
| October | 1696 |
| November | 851 |
| December | 465 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Round, palmately lobed leaves with toothed edges.
- 02
Pink-purple five-petaled flowers with darker stripes.
- 03
Round, flat seed heads like tiny cheese wheels.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Native to Europe, North Africa and Asia; naturalized widely.
Watch the plant stage
Leaves spring to autumn; flowers in summer.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Leaf · Flower · Seed
Eat young leaves and flowers raw or cooked; they thicken soups.
Care for the patch
Common and abundant; harvest from clean ground.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- Wikipedia · Malva sylvestrisBotanical description, range and documented use
- iNaturalist · Malva sylvestrisTaxonomy and verified observation records
Checked 27 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction