Dropwort, Meadowsweet
Filipendula vulgaris

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.

Filipendula vulgaris is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles. The plant is self-fertile. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.8

Where it is found

Dry pastures on limestone or chalky soils.

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa, Siberia and the Caucasus.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young leaves - raw or cooked. They can be added to salads and soups. Root - raw or cooked. Rather bitter. Astringent. Best if roasted. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The root is anthelmintic and lithontripic. It is used in the treatment of epilepsy, kidney and bladder stones, genital discharges and intestinal worms.

Anthelmintic: Expels parasites from the gut.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Epilepsy: Used in the treatment of Epilepsy - a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.

Lithontripic: Removes stones from the kidney, bladder etc.

Other

Rating:

Plants can be used as a ground cover when planted about 45cm apart each way. The cultivar 'Flore Pleno' with sweetly scented double flowers has been recommended.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Ground cover: Ground Cover

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Massing, Rock garden. Prefers a well-drained moisture retentive soil. Dislikes shade. Tolerates dry soils. Grows well on calcareous soils. The flowers are sweetly scented and are very attractive to bees. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Naturalizing, Suitable for cut flowers.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in spring, germinating best at a temperature of 10 - 13°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have grown enough. If not, keep them in a cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring. Division in autumn or winter. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Best place to grow: Ground Cover; Meadow;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 3-10

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

F. hexapetala. Spiraea filipendula. Ulmaria filipendula.