Malvaceae
Common marshmallow
Althaea officinalis
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Althaea
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsNot sure
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
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Common names
By language (61)
- ab
- Адоуҟәыд
- Arabic
- ختمية طبية, خبيز, خطمية
- Armenian
- Տուղտ դեղատու
- arz
- ختميه طبيه
- Asturian
- Altea, Altea, malva blanca
- Azerbaijani
- Dərman bəlğəmotu
- ba
- Алтей үләне
- Basque
- Malba zuri
- Belarusian
- Алтэя лекавая
- Bosnian
- Bijeli sljez
- Bulgarian
- Лечебна ружа, Божа ръчица, Бял слез, Бяла ружа, Волово око, Дива ружа, Лигавка, Просвирняк
- Catalan
- Malví
- Chinese
- 药葵, 药蜀葵, 藥葵, 红绿草
- Croatian
- Bijeli sljez
- cv
- Сиплĕ шăпăр курăкĕ
- Czech
- Proskurník lékařský, Slézová růže
- Dutch
- Heemst, Echte heemst, Althea officinalis
- English
- Common marshmallow, Marshmallow, Marsh-mallow, Marsh mallow
- Esperanto
- Oficina alteo, Kuracalteo
- Estonian
- Harilik altee
- Filipino
- Althea officinalis, Althea oficinalis, Common marshmallow, Karaniwang marsmalo, Karaniwang marsmalow, Komon marsmalo, Komon marsmalow
- Finnish
- Rohtosalkoruusu
- French
- Guimauve officinale
- German
- Echter Eibisch, Gebräuchlicher Eibisch, Samtapfel
- Hebrew
- נטופית רפואית
- hsb
- Lěkarska popla
- Hungarian
- Orvosi zilíz, Fehérmályva
- Indonesian
- Panirak paya
- Irish
- Leamhach
- Italian
- L’Altea comune, Altea, malvone
- Japanese
- ウスベニタチアオイ
- kab
- Bineṣaṛ
- Kazakh
- Aptekalıq jalbıztiken, Аптекалық жалбызтікен, اپتەكالىق جالبىزتىكەن
- Korean
- 마시멜로
- kw
- Malow keunek
- Latvian
- Ārstniecības alteja, Ārstniecības malva
- Lithuanian
- Vaistinė svilarožė
- Macedonian
- Бел слез
- Malagasy
- Fiandrilavenombazaha
- Malayalam
- അൽതീ ഒഫിഷിനാലിസ്
- mzn
- ختمی
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Legestokkrose
- os
- Галсыф
- Persian
- پنیرک پفنبات
- Polish
- Prawoślaz lekarski
- Romanian
- Nalbă mare
- Russian
- Алтей лекарственный, Алтей аптечный, Алтейный корень, Василистник, Дикая роза, Дикий мак, Просвирник, Проскурняк аптечный
- Serbian
- Бели слез, Beli slez, Бијели сљез, Слез бели, Трандафил
- Serbian (Latin)
- Bijeli sljez, Beli slez
- Slovak
- Ibiš lekársky
- Slovenian
- Navadni slez, Ajbiž, Beli popelj
- Spanish
- Bismalva, Malvavisco, Camarmaje, Hierba canamera, Hierba cañamera, Hierbacañamera, Lavaradisco, Malbaxuni
- Swedish
- Läkemalva, Althea-rot, Althearot
- Tajik
- Гули хайрӣ
- Tamil
- சீமைத்துத்தி
- Tatar
- Шифалы мәче борчагы
- Thai
- มาร์ชแมลโลว์
- Turkish
- Ebegümecigiller
- Ukrainian
- Алтея лікарська
- Welsh
- Hocysen y morfa, Hokys y gors
- wuu
- 药蜀葵
Synonyms
- Althaea balearica Rodriguez
- Althaea kragujevacensis Pančić
- Althaea kragujevacensis Pančić
- Althaea multiflora Rchb. ex Regel
- Althaea officinalis subsp. indica Baker f.
- Althaea officinalis var. obtusifolia Vayr.
- Althaea officinalis var. obtusiuscula H.C.Hall ex Lej.
- Althaea officinalis var. pallida Regel & Herder
- Althaea officinalis var. rotundifolia Gray
- Althaea officinalis var. thirkeana Alef.
- Althaea officinalis var. vulgaris Alef.
- Althaea pulchra Klotzsch
- Althaea sublobata Stokes
- Malva althaea E.H.L.Krause
- Malva maritima Salisb.
- Malva officinalis (L.) K.F.Schimp. & Spenn.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 12:58, 19 November 2006, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Magnus Manske, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Karelj, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Benjamin Zwittnig, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Ата, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Meneerke bloem, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Althaea
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.