Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet (Latin: Filipendula) is a beautifully flowering perennial plant in the Rosaceae family.
Description
Meadowsweet is a beautifully flowering, shade-tolerant rhizomatous perennial that can vary greatly in size, leaf shape, and flower color. However, all varieties of meadowsweet share a similar inflorescence shape: dense, multi-flowered panicles with long lower branches and shortened central axes.
Meadowsweet stems are almost always erect, and its leaves are usually pinnate (palmate leaves are also somewhat less common).
Meadowsweet blooms typically from May to August. Its numerous flowers, whose sepals are formed by five or six petals without sub-sepals, boast a pleasing white or pink color, and the fruits of this beauty resemble whimsical, multi-nutted pods.
The genus Meadowsweet includes ten to sixteen species.
The name of this interesting plant is derived from two Latin words: filum, meaning “thread,” and pendulus, meaning “pendulous.” This name likely stems from the fact that the root nodules of the common meadowsweet tend to hang down on strong, thread-like rootlets.
Growing Location
Meadowsweet grows primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, or more precisely, in its temperate zones.
Use
Meadowsweet is often planted in mixed borders and mixed plantings along with various ornamental perennials, as well as various shrubs and trees. Meadowsweet is a great choice for planting in borders or sunny rockeries, while the rather large Kamchatka meadowsweet also looks great planted alone in the middle of lawns.
Three main varieties of meadowsweet are commonly grown in gardens: Kamchatka meadowsweet, red meadowsweet, and common meadowsweet. Incidentally, this plant is an excellent garden repellent for horseflies, mosquitoes, and flies!
Meadowsweet is also used in folk medicine—it”s said to relieve headaches of various origins and successfully treat rheumatic joint pain. Meadowsweet also boasts powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties, which is why it”s often used to treat influenza, acute respiratory infections, and herpes.
Meadowsweet can also be brewed as a tea or added to regular tea—this beneficial herb has a remarkably pleasant honey aroma and excellent flavor.
Cultivation and Care
Meadowsweet thrives in sunny areas, but most varieties also thrive in partial shade. It”s best to choose loamy, well-drained soil for growing it.
During the summer, meadowsweet requires regular and ample watering—this is especially important if the plants are planted in open areas. This beauty does not tolerate drying out of the root system. However, all varieties of this wonderful plant boast impressive cold resistance.
Towards the end of July or the beginning of August, when the meadowsweet has finished flowering, it is necessary to prune its flowering shoots. Meadowsweet is usually propagated either by dividing its rhizomes or by sowing it directly into open ground before winter. Five- to six-centimeter-long rhizome cuttings are planted in autumn at a depth of about five centimeters.
Easy-to-grow flowers for the garden: Meadowsweet. Garden World website
