Meadowsweet - the sweet scented flower of high Summer

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a native perennial herb found throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. A member of the Rose family, it grows in damp meadows and open woodland, in ditches and bogs, at the edges of ponds and on riverbanks.

Meadowsweet is a graceful and fragrant plant with fern-like foliage and distinctive creamy-white flowers from June to September. The plant is hairless and furrowed, with stems growing erect 60cm to 120cm tall - they have a reddish to purple tinge. The leaves are pinnate and dark green on the upper side and silvery underneath, and the plant bears delicate tufts of sweet-smelling pale yellow flowers which are small and numerous and bear 5 petals and 7-20 stamens each.

The leaves of Meadowsweet have a heavy almond-like aroma reminiscent of marzipan, and the flowers have a strong sweet smell. Despite the flowers producing no nectar, the flowerheads of Meadowsweet are frequently visited by bees attracted by the heavy scent – this serves to fertilise the plant which is heavy with pollen.

Meadowsweet is the herb that aspirin was created from as it contains high levels of salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin which is used for its anti–inflammatory properties. The plant is often used to treat reflux and gastric ulcers, but if you are allergic to aspirin, avoid using Meadowsweet.

‘Meadowsweet’ is thought to be derived from ‘mead sweet’ as it was once used to flavour mead, an ancient alcoholic drink made from honey. The whole herb possesses a pleasant taste and flavour, the green parts having a similar aromatic character to the flowers. You can use the flowers the same way as elderflower and transform them into tasty wines, cordials, sorbets, jams, desserts and sauces. The flowers and young leaves make a delicious tea, and fresh flowers can also be dipped in batter and deep-fried to make fritters. In the Olden days, the plant was used as a strewing herb to give rooms a pleasant aroma, and a natural black dye can be obtained from the roots by using a copper mordant.

Is there something you particularly like about Meadowsweet? Or you have a special memory attached to it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments Xx