Common name: Meadowsweet, Queen-of-the-Meadow, False Spirea
Family: Rosaceae, Rose
Height x width: 2-8' x 2-4' (varies with species)
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: alternate, 4-8" long, pinnately compound with 7-9 leaflets, crinkled texture, white tomentose below; some species with sessile, long narrow leaves
Flowers: numerous small flowers in panicles with 5-6 petals per flowers, white to pink, early to mid-summer
Hardiness: zones 3-8 or 9
Soil: moist, well-drained, organic; vulgaris tolerates dry, rubra and ulmaria tolerate soggy; alkaline pH 7.0-7.5 prefered
Light: sun, tolerates part shade
Pests and problems: powdery mildew (uncommon), Japanese beetles
Landscape habit, uses: borders, natural or native areas, fine texture effect, streamsides and bogs
Other interest: native to Europe; name from Latin filum or thread and pendulus or drooping refering to root tubers of some species hanging together by threads; used by herbalists as an infusion to alleviate pain, salicylic acid (main ingredient of aspirin) was first derived from ulmaria flowers in 1839; used in middle ages to flavor fermented honey.
Other culture: performs best in cool climates, but tolerates hot climates given adequate moisture and shade
Propagation: division (requires a sharp knife for the tough roots), seedlings self sown, purchased seed (often hard to find, may require warm-cold stratification)
Species:
hexapetala:vulgaris
kamtschatica (kam-schah' ti-cah)--Manchurian Meadowsweet, zones 3-8, 6-9' tall, white to pale pink flowers late summer, 12" wide dark green sharply toothed leaves, native to Manchuria and Kamchatka to Japan
palmata (pal-maa' tah)--Siberian Meadowsweet, zones 3-7, 3-4' tall, pink flowers, native to Siberia, wide palmately divided leaves
purpurea (pur-pur' ee-ah)--Japanese Meadowsweet, zones 6-8, 3-4', deep pink flowers and red stems, long pointed serrated leaflets, native to Japan
rubra (rue' brah)--Queen-of-the-Prairie, 6-8' tall, zones 3-7, pink flowers in summer, native to the central U.S., usually doesn't require staking
ulmaria (ul-mar' ee-ah)--Queen-of-the-Meadow, 3-6' tall, zones 3-7, white flowers in summer, native to Asia and Europe, whitish leaves hairy below
vulgaris (vul-gair' iss)--Dropwort Meadowsweet, 2-3' tall, zones
3-7, white flowers in summer, native to Europe, flattened inflorescences
often tinged pink, shiny green divided leaves give fern appearance, good
groundcover
Cultivars:
| Cultivars | species | flowers | other | |
| 'Alba' | palmata | white | ||
| 'Albicans' | rubra | white, early | 5-6' tall | |
| 'Aurea' | ulmaria | white, not showy | golden foliage | |
| 'Digitata Nana':'Nana' | palmata | |||
| 'Elegans':'Elegantissima' | ||||
| 'Elegantissima' | palmata | white, red stamens | compact | |
| 'Flore Pleno' | ulmaria | white, double, showy | ||
| 'Flore Pleno' | vulgaris | white, double | 1-2' tall | |
| 'Grandiflora' | vulgaris | white, large | ||
| 'Nana' | palmata | pink | 8-10" tall | |
| 'Rosea' | palmata | pink | ||
| 'Rosea' | vulgaris | light pink | ||
| 'Rubra' | palmata | dark reddish | ||
| 'Variegata' | ulmaria | white | central yellow leaf stripe | |
| 'Venusta' | rubra | deep pink to red | common | |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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