Common Name: Meadowsweet

General Information

Filipendula ulmaria is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a stout rhizomatous rootstock, it forms a large upright clump of stems, usually growing around 90 - 120cm tall, occasionally reaching 180cm[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its fragrant flowers and attractive foliage.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Temperate Eurasia fom Iceland and western Europe to eastern Siberia, Mongolia, western China (Xinjiang) and Iran

Habitat

Wet ground in swamps, marshes, fens, wet woods and meadows, wet rock ledges and by rivers, but not on acid peats[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Filipendula ulmaria is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate winter temperatures falling to around -40°c[].
Requires a humus-rich, moist soil in semi-shade[]. Succeeds in full sun only if the soil is reliably moist throughout the growing season[]. Prefers a constantly moist, alkaline soil, 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[, ].
The plant often self-sows freely[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[, ]. The stout, horizontal rhizomes are 5 - 10mm wide, the plant does not form tubers[].

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[].

Medicinal

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 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[].
The plant is harvested in mid summer when it is in flower and can be dried for later use[].
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[].

Other Uses

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[].

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.