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Get the iPhone app Scan on the webMeadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Also called Queen of the Meadow, Meadow-Wort, Pride of the Meadow
About Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet is a fragrant Irish native wildflower loved by bees and hoverflies. It grows frothy sprays of sweet-smelling, creamy-white summer blossoms. The plant loves moist soil and fits perfectly in cottage gardens or pond borders.
- Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 2–4 ft
- Spread
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- High; loves moist or wet ground
- Soil
- Rich, moisture-retentive, damp loam or clay
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to -20 °F
- Flowers
- June to September
- Growth
- Upright, clump-forming
- Toxicity
- Not known to be toxic; contains natural salicylates
- Native to
- Europe and Western Asia
How to recognise it
- Frothy clusters of creamy-white, scented flowers
- Long, prominent stamens give flowers a fuzzy texture
- Toothed, dark green compound leaves with pale undersides
- Stiff, upright reddish-green stems
Caring for Meadowsweet
Watering
Every 3 days- How often
- Keep soil consistently damp
- How much
- About 1 to 2 in of water per week
- When
- Morning
- Tips
- Do not let the roots dry out completely. Mulch helps trap soil moisture.
Feeding
- How often
- Once in spring
- What to use
- Compost or balanced organic feed
- When
- Early spring
- How
- Spread a 1-inch layer of well-rotted compost around the base.
Pruning
- When
- Late autumn or early spring
- How
- Cut old stems right down to the ground.
- Tips
- Leave seed heads standing through autumn to feed visiting wild birds.
Jobs it will ask for
- Collect mature seeds Snip dry seed clusters if you want to sow them elsewhere next spring.
- Mulch the root zone Spread 2 in of compost around the base to keep moisture locked in.
Through the year
Spring
Top-dress with compost and watch fresh green shoots emerge.
Summer
Keep soil thoroughly moist during hot dry spells to prolong flowering.
Autumn
Let seed heads dry naturally or cut stems back to the crown.
Winter
The plant sleeps underground through frost; no protection is needed.
What to watch for
- Powdery mildew on leaves
- Water at the roots rather than from above, and keep good airflow around stems.
- Leaf scorch and wilting
- Soak the ground deeply; Meadowsweet wilts fast if its roots dry out in hot sun.
Reference photos
Compare what's in your garden with confirmed photos of Meadowsweet.
Photos from iNaturalist contributors.
Written by Garden Rescue from photo identifications, in US units. Local advice from your extension service or garden centre beats a general guide.