Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Meadowsweet is a graceful wetland perennial topped with frothy, almond-scented cream flowers. Historically important because salicylic acid was first isolated from it, it gave aspirin part of its name.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- High; loves moist to wet soil
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a tall perennial herb in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the damp meadows and ditches of Europe and western Asia.
Its plumes of tiny creamy-white flowers carry a sweet, almond-honey fragrance that made it a favorite medieval "strewing herb" scattered on floors. The name may derive from "mead-sweet" for its use flavoring mead.
It holds a special place in pharmacy history: salicin/salicylic acid was isolated from meadowsweet (then classed in genus Spiraea), and the drug name aspirin (a-spir-in) references Spiraea. The plant remains a traditional remedy for fevers, pain and digestive upset.
How to identify it
- Flowers: dense, frothy clusters of tiny five-petaled creamy-white blooms in branched plumes, strongly almond/honey-scented, in summer
- Leaves: pinnate, dark green above and often whitish-downy beneath, with toothed leaflets and a large terminal lobe
- Stems: reddish, ridged, upright, 1-1.5 m tall
- Habit: clumping wetland perennial
- Scent: sweet almond-like fragrance from crushed leaves and flowers
Care & growing
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Water: Loves consistently moist to wet soil; ideal for pond margins, bog gardens and damp borders.
Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive soil; tolerates heavy and waterlogged ground.
Temperature: Very hardy, through about USDA zones 3-9.
Feeding: Minimal; thrives in fertile, damp soil with little intervention.
Propagation: Divide clumps in spring or autumn, or sow seed; spreads slowly to form attractive stands.
Habitat & origin
Meadowsweet is native across Europe and western Asia and naturalized in parts of North America. In the wild it grows in wet meadows, marshes, fens, riverbanks, ditches and damp woodland edges.
In gardens it is grown in bog gardens, beside ponds and streams, and in moist borders where its airy flowers and fragrance are valued.
Uses & benefits
Medicinal: A traditional herbal remedy for fevers, aches, and acid stomach, owing to its natural salicylates; historically central to the discovery of aspirin.
Culinary: The almond-scented flowers have been used to flavor mead, wines, jams and stewed fruit.
Historical: A popular medieval strewing herb for fragrance, and used in herbal teas.
Ecological: The nectar- and pollen-rich flowers attract many bees, hoverflies and other insects in wet habitats.
Frequently asked questions
What is the link between meadowsweet and aspirin?
Salicylic acid was isolated from meadowsweet, which was once classified in the genus Spiraea. The drug name aspirin references Spiraea, and the plant is a natural source of aspirin-like salicylates.
Where does meadowsweet grow best?
It thrives in consistently moist to wet soil, making it ideal for bog gardens, pond margins and damp borders in sun or part shade.
Is meadowsweet safe to use?
In normal herbal amounts it is generally well tolerated, but because it contains salicylates, people who are sensitive to aspirin or are advised to avoid it should not use meadowsweet.
Why does meadowsweet smell of almonds?
Its flowers and crushed foliage release aromatic compounds that give a sweet almond-and-honey scent, which made it a popular medieval strewing and flavoring herb.
Meadowsweet guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Meadowsweet.
