Meadowsweet, Queen of the meadow, Double Lady of the Meadow, European Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.
Filipendula ulmaria is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from August 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 and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 1.2
Where it is found
Wet ground in swamps, marshes, fens, wet woods and meadows, wet rock ledges and by rivers, but not on acid peats.
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, temperate Asia and Mongolia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
All parts of the plant are edible. Root - cooked. Young leaves - cooked as a flavouring in soups. Young leaves, flowers and roots are brewed into a tea. The dried leaves are used as a flavouring, especially as a sweetener in herb teas. The flowers are used as a flavouring in various alcoholic beverages and in stewed fruits. Adding them to wine or beer is said to make a very heady brew. They are also made into a syrup which can be used in cooling drinks and fruit salads.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Meadowsweet has a very long history of herbal use, it was one of the three most sacred herbs of the Druids. The leaves and flowering stems are alterative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, stomachic and tonic. The plant is harvested in July when it is in flower and can be dried for later use. The flower head contains salicylic acid, from which the drug aspirin can be synthesised. Unlike the extracted aspirin, which can cause gastric ulceration at high doses, the combination of constituents in meadowsweet act to protect the inner lining of the stomach and intestines whilst still providing the anti-inflammatory benefits of aspirin. The herb is a valuable medicine in the treatment of diarrhoea, indeed it is considered almost specific in the treatment of children's diarrhoea. It is also considered to be a useful stomachic, being used to treat hyperacidity, heartburn, gastritis and peptic ulcers, for which it is one of the most effective plant remedies. It is also frequently used in the treatment of afflictions of the blood. Meadowsweet is also effective against the organisms causing diphtheria, dysentery and pneumonia. This remedy should not be given to people who are hypersensitive to aspirin. A strong decoction of the boiled root is said to be effective, when used externally, in the treatment of sores and ulcers. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh root. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet for cough, bronchitis, fever and cold.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Aromatic: Having an agreeable odour and stimulant qualities.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Homeopathy: A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 3
A black dye is obtained from the roots. It is brown. A yellow dye is obtained from the plant tops. An essential oil obtained from the flower buds is used in perfumery. The whole plant, but especially the leaves, was formerly used as a strewing herb, imparting an almond-like fragrance. Strongly aromatic, its delightful perfume would completely fill the room. Both flowers and leaves have been used in pot-pourri, retaining their scent for several months. The scent of the dried flowers becoming more and more pleasant with age.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Pot-pourri: Aromatic plants used to impart a pleasant smell to an area. Can this be grouped with incense or essential oil?
Strewing: Plants, usually aromatic, that are strewn on the floor to give a nice smell, repel insects etc.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Massing, Rock garden, Seashore, Specimen, Woodland garden. Requires a humus-rich moist soil in semi-shade. Succeeds in full sun only if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season. Dislikes dry or acid soils. Does well in marshy soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. The flowers have a strong sweet smell, which for many people is sickly. The leaves are also aromatic, though the scent is very different from the flowers. The leaves are pleasantly aromatic. A good bee plant. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Edible, Fragrant foliage, Not North American native, Naturalizing, Suitable for cut flowers, Suitable for dried flowers, Fragrant 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: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Meadow; Bog Garden;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
Things to keep in mind
Avoid for asthmatics. Use by children for diarhoea not recommended or for children under 12 due to salicylate content (risk of Reye's syndrome) .
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Spiraea ulmaria. Ulmaria pentapetala.