Wholesale Meadowsweet

01.
A Bit of Botany

a little botanical information on meadowsweet

description
Filipendula ulmaria is a perennial herb in the Rosaceae family. The stems are 3–7 feet in height. The reddish-to-purple stems grow erect and furrowed. The plant has dark green leaves and are whitish and downy underneath. They are much divided, interruptedly pinnate, and have a few large serrate leaflets as well as some small intermediate ones. Terminal leaflets are large, 4–8 cm long, and are three- to five-lobed.

Meadowsweet's creamy-white flowers are clustered close together in handsome irregularly-branched cymes. The flowers are delicate and graceful, and emit avery strong, sweet smell. They bloom in the summer— from June to early September.

common names & nomenclature
The word lemon may be Middle Eastern in its origin.

Often known as Bridewort, because it was strewn in churches for festivals and weddings, and made into bridal garlands. In Europe, it took its name "queen of the meadow" for the way it can dominate a low-lying, damp meadow. The generic name, Filipendula, comes from filum, meaning "thread" and pendulus, meaning "hanging." This is said to describe the root tubers that hang on fibrous roots. The name ulmaria means "elmlike", an odd epithet as it does not resemble the elm (Ulmus) in any way.

Also known as:
Queen of the Meadow, Pride of the Meadow, Meadow Wort, Meadow Quees, Lady of the Meadow, Dollof, Meadsweet, Bridewort and Meadwort, meadowsweet

02.
Where in the World

habitat and range for meadowsweet

Filipendula ulmaria is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia (Near east and Middle east). It has been introduced and naturalized in North America.

03.
Cultivation & Harvesting

considerations for growing and harvesting meadowsweet

climate
Grows in wet ground in swamps, marshes, fens, wet woods and meadows, wet rock ledges and by rivers, but not on acid peats.

soil
Requires a humus-rich moist soil in semi-shade. Meadowsweet will succeed in full sun only if the soil is consistently moist throughout the growing season. Dislikes dry or acid soils. Does well in marshy soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils.

growing
Sow seed in the spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, transplant the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have grown enough. Otherwise, keep them in a cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring. Divide mature plants in autumn or winter.

harvesting
Harvesting of meadowsweet happens in July while it is flowering. It can be dried and cut into pieces for later use.

preserving
Store dried meadowsweet in an airtight container in a cool, dry place..

04.
The Rest of the Story

meadowsweet history, folklore, literature & more

During the Middle Ages, meadowsweet's delicate almond fragrance made it a popular air freshener, or "strewing herb." It was scattered around homes at a time when people rarely bathed and when farm animals often shared human living quarters. Later, this herb's sweet aroma and lovely blossoms earned it a place in bridal bouquets, hence the name bridlewort.

Colonists introduced the plant into North America.