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Common Name: New Mexico Prairie Mallow

General Information

Sidalcea neomexicana is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

South-western N. America - Wyoming, New Mexico, California, Idaho and Arizona.

Habitat

Wet meadows and streamsides in moist usually strongly alkaline soils, 1500 - 2850 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a deep fertile well-drained but moisture-retentive soil in a sunny position but with some shade at the hottest part of the day[].
Hardy to at least -15°c, but where prolonged cold spells without snow cover are experienced it is best to apply a good mulch of bracken in the winter[]. Plants thrive in climates with relatively cool summers and mild winters[].
If the plants are cut back immediately after flowering they will produce a second flush of flowers in late summer[].
Plants are sometimes infested with rust, Puccinia malvacearum[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked as greens[, ].

Medicinal

A cold infusion of the plant has been used in the treatment of internal injuries[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division in spring[].