Filipendula ulmaria Seeds | Meadowsweet
LATIN NAME: Filipendula ulmaria
COMMON NAME: Meadowsweet
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a fragrant herb. Meadowsweet is a fine, old-fashioned, fragrant herb of damp meadows and stream banks, and its clouds of small, cream-white, fragrant flowers have been a familiar of old world for a very long time. Upright stems carry fine, pinnate leaves and dense, airy heads of small, five-petalled, cream-white flowers through early summer, with a sweet, almond-like scent. It has a long and careful record in old practice, and it is a fine, generous plant for damp, sunny or partly shaded garden. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the Filipendula group, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Meadowsweet has a well-documented place in plant science, and fragrant flowers and leaves have been studied for a long time for their place in traditional practice of old world. Continuing work by breeders and collectors keeps good seed of this species moving through the trade.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Meadowsweet earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Meadowsweet is grown for fragrant flowers and long record of use. Cream-white, almond-scented flowers and leaves have a traditional place in old practice, and plant is a fine, generous addition to damp border, stream bank and wildlife garden. Airy, fragrant flower heads pull in bees and hoverflies, and plant is a mainstay of damp, open ground. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
Meadowsweet is a plant of pharmaceutical legend: its salicylates helped inspire aspirin, and the honey-scented flowers remain a beloved European tea for acid stomachs and colds, gentle because the plant balances its own chemistry with soothing mucilage and tannins.
Growing from Seed
Meadowsweet grows readily from seed. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Move strong seedlings into individual pots, keep them in good light, and set them out when the weather and their size agree.
Our Take
Its role in herbal practice, noted above, adds depth to an already garden-worthy plant. It forms a fragrant herb, which makes spacing and siting straightforward. Young plants want steady water; older plants take conditions as they come.
Related Reading
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