Althaea officinalis Althaea officinalis Althaea officinalis, or marsh-mallow, is a perennial species indigenous to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, which is used in herbalism and as an ornamental plant. A confection made from the root since ancient Egyptian time evolved into today's marshmallow treat. The stems, which die down in the autumn, are erect , but can reach 6′6″ (2m), simple, or putting out only a few lateral branches. The leaves, shortly petioled, are roundish, ovate-cordate, long, and about 1 inch broad, entire or three to five lobed, irregularly toothed at the margin, and thick. They are soft and velvety on
Melilotus officinalis capacity in poor soils. Sweet clover is a major source of nectar for domestic honey bees as hives near sweetclover can yield up to 200 pounds of honey in a year. Sweetclover has been used as a phytoremediation—phytodegradation plant for treatment of soils contaminated with dioxins. In the chemical industry, dicoumarol is extracted from the plant to produce rodenticides. When "M. officinalis" is invasive, it can be managed by mulching, hand-pulling, mowing, or herbicide applications such (e.g., 2,4-D) before flowering. Prescribed burns in late fall or early spring followed by another burn in late spring can reduce the number of