Common Name: Queen Of The Prairie

General Information

Filipendula rubra is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a spreading rhizomatous rootstock; it forms clumps of upright stems in irregular patches, growing around 180 - 250cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its fragrant flowers and attractive foliage.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Central and Eastern N. America - Minnesota to Vermont, south to Missouri, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Habitat

Moist meadows and bogs, roadsides, ditches, often persistent in abandoned gardens; at elevations from sea level to around 1,000 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Filipendula rubra is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate winter temperatures falling to around -40°c[]. Although the plants are perfectly hardy in most temperate regions, they appreciate the winter protection of bracken or some similar mulch when grown in areas of prolonged frosts[].
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. Plants can be grown in quite coarse grass, which can be cut annually in the autumn[].
Plants often self-sow and can spread fairly freely to form large colonies[].
There is at least one named variety, selected for its ornamental value[].
The plant has fragrant flowers and leaves[]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[, ].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The root is rich in tannin, it is used as an astringent in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, bleeding etc[]. It has also been used in the treatment of various heart complaints[].

The plant probably contains salicylic acid, the chemical forerunner of aspirin[]. This is anti-inflammatory and analgesic[]. It has been used to treat gout, influenza, rheumatism, arthritis, fever, and kidney and bladder problems[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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.