Meadowsweet

Botanical Name: Filipendula ulmaria

Family: Rosaceae

Other Names: Bride of the meadow, bridewort, gravel root, lady of the meadow, little queen, meadwort, queen of the meadow, spiraea ulmaria, trumpet weed

Habitat: Ditches, watersides, marshes, fields, meadows

Description: Aromatic perennial. 60-120cm/2-4ft. Stems: stiff, upright, hairless Branched towards top. Leaves: long stalked, pinnate with 2-5 pairs of leaflets over 2cm long silvery below Stipules green above, downy beneath Flowers: dense clusters creamy white 5-6 petals, 25mm across June – October. Strong aroma

Native to: Europe, N Asia

Cultivated in: North America

Part used: Whole herb

Cultivation: Fertile moist soil. Full or partial sun

Harvesting: Flower and leaves: During flowering June –August

  Preserving: Dried at temperatures no more than 40C  

Actions: Antacid, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, antispasmodic, astringent, stomachic  

Constituents: Essential oil with salicylic acid compounds called spiraeine and gaultherin; salicylic acid, tannin, citric acid  

Volatile oil: salicyladehyde (up to 75%), ethylsalicylate, methylsalicicylate, methoxybenzaldehyde

Phenolic glycosides:  spiraein, monotropin, gaultherin

Flavonoids: spiraeoside, rutin, hyperoside, avicularin

Tannins: hydrolysable tannides

Phenylcarboxlic acids, traces of coumarins, ascorbic acid  

Combines with: Agrimony, celery seeds, liquorice  

Culinary Uses: Beers, wines  

Circulatory muscle joint: Rheumatism, gout, arthritis  

Digestive: Heartburn, colic  

Genito-urinary: Kidney, bladder

Immune: Fevers, flu

Other Notes: Often strewed at weddings

Sacred to the druids

Associated with death or a deep sleep that the person would never wake from