Filipendula ulmaria

Description

Filipendula ulmaria – meadowsweet

Botanical name: Filipendula ulmaria
Common names: Meadowsweet, queen of the meadow
Family: Rosaceae (rose family)
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Habit: Upright, clump-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 60cm–1.2m tall × 45cm spread
Foliage: Divided, deeply veined, dark green leaves, whitish beneath; deciduous
Flowers: Large, frothy, creamy-white plumes of tiny fragrant flowers in mid to late summer (June–August)
Scent: Sweetly fragrant flowers and aromatic foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Reliably moist to wet, fertile; thrives in damp ground; dislikes drying out; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H7 (very hardy, below −20°C); USDA zones 3–9
Exposure: Sheltered or open; tolerant
Native range: Native to Europe including the UK, and Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Filipendula ulmaria, meadowsweet, is a lovely native perennial with frothy, sweetly fragrant creamy-white flower plumes in summer over handsome divided foliage. Superb for damp ground, pond sides and wildlife gardens.

GardenAdvice notes

A beautiful and much-loved native of damp meadows and ditches, meadowsweet produces great frothy plumes of tiny creamy-white flowers in summer, filling the air with a sweet, honeyed fragrance, above handsome deeply veined foliage. It thrives in the reliably moist or wet ground where many perennials struggle, making it invaluable beside a pond or in a damp border, and it is an excellent plant for pollinators.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in reliably moist to wet, fertile soil in full sun to partial shade — it is a plant of damp meadows and ditches and dislikes drying out. It is ideal beside ponds and streams, in bog gardens, damp borders and wildflower meadows. Space about 45cm apart. Keep moist.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance in moist soil. Keep it from drying out, as drought causes the foliage to scorch and brown. Cut back after flowering to tidy it, or leave the seedheads for wildlife and winter interest. It self-seeds gently in damp ground. Cut down old growth in late winter. Divide congested clumps in spring.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide established clumps in spring, as growth begins.
• Seed: Sow fresh seed in autumn; it self-seeds gently in moist ground.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in damp soil. Its main dislike is drought, which scorches the foliage; powdery mildew and rust can occur if it dries out. Kept moist, it is easy and reliable.

Uses in the garden

Superb beside ponds and streams, in bog gardens, damp borders, wildflower meadows and wildlife gardens, where its frothy fragrant plumes and bold foliage bring a soft, naturalistic beauty to moist ground.

Wildlife value

An excellent native plant for wildlife: the frothy flowerheads provide abundant, accessible pollen for bees, hoverflies and many beneficial insects, and as a native it supports a wide range of insect life.

Toxicity & safety

Meadowsweet is generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets.

GardenAdvice tip

Meadowsweet is one of the loveliest native plants for damp ground — those frothy cream plumes carry a wonderful sweet, honeyed scent on a warm day, so plant it where you’ll walk past it beside a pond or in a damp corner. Its one requirement is moisture: let it dry out and the foliage scorches badly, so give it ground that stays reliably damp.

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