Grown organically at KoruKai Herb Farm, New Zealand. Free of pesticides, herbicides and other agrochemicals.
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
Meadowsweet is a fantastic plant to have in your herbal pantry as it is great for both children and adults and treats a variety of conditions (see more below). Known as Queen of the Meadow, meadowsweet is a majestic member of the Rosacea family that grows more than 1.5 meters high and 60 cm high. It has lovely flowers in small clusters that grow on the top of flowering stalks. They flower in mid summer and they smell sweet and strong.
Medicinal Uses*
Salicylic acid isolated from the plant was first synthesized in 1860 and later used to develop aspirin. Meadowsweet helps to reduce inflammation and is used to treat arthritis and rheumatic aches. It is pleasant tasting and really helps the body when it is in pain, suffering from colds and flu and feeling inflamed. Meadowsweet is used in the treatment of hyperacidity, gastritis and peptic ulceration. Its gentle astringency is useful in treating diarrhoea, especially in children and is used with other herbs for irritable bowel syndrome. It soothes and protects the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and stomach lining whilst reducing acidity. Studies have found that meadowsweet can also promote the healing of chronic ulcers and prevent lesions from developing in the stomach. Its gentle astringency is useful in treating heartburn.
It grows fast and in fertile soil you will have this size of root ball one year later that you can divide into 5-8 new plants to grow your collection.
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Growing Conditions
Meadowsweet grows well in rich soil with plenty of fertility and moisture. It likes full sun but is also OK with partial shade. We find it quite adaptable and it does well in our regular herb garden beds as well as in our food forest, where there is more competition as well as twitch grass. It doesn't need a lot of care but certainly grows taller in rich, fertile soil and responds well to annual top dressing with compost.
It creates a dense root system (see image above) and manages to compete with twitch and kikuyu grass and other invasive weeds once it is large and well established.
Meadowsweet is often found in meadows, swampy areas, ditches and riverbeds.
In winter the above part of the plant dies back completely and new shoots will be already in place for next spring. It is best to lift and divide the plants in July/August like in the below picture.
If you do not require more plants simply remove the dried plant material with secateurs and add a generous layer of compost and mulch avoiding the growing tips.
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Growing Instructions
Once you receive the crown plant into a pot with good quality potting mix and compost. Make sure the growing tips are just above the soil level and water well.
Prepare your planting area with compost and/or vermicast and well composted manure.
Plant into your prepared garden bed a few weeks later or anytime in September or October. Mulch well with autumn leaves, straw, grass clippings, seaweed etc. to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
If planting more than one plant then space them 40-50 cm apart.
Keep area around the plant weeded in the first few weeks. Once the plant is established it generally shades out other weedy species.
It has similar growing conditions to valerian and they grow well together.
Harvesting
We harvest meadowsweet in the middle of summer when it is in full flower (mid January/February) at KoruKai Herb Farm. Harvest on a nice, dry and sunny day. Use a field knife or secateurs to cut the aerial part of the plant leaving about 10 cm.
Processing and Drying
Lay the stems and leaves out in a single row on a drying tray and dry them at 37-40 degrees C out of direct light with good airflow. It dried beautifully with little effort in 1-3 days in good conditions. To process strip the leaves and flowers off the stems and store in paper bags in a dry place. They should be crunchy and fully dry before storage.
Herbal Preparation*
The leaves and flowers of meadowsweet can be used in teas and tinctures to reduce pain, bring down fevers and treat diarrhoea. It's a fantastic plant to have in your herbal pantry as it is great for both children and adults and treats a variety of conditions.
Above: Meadowsweet growing at KoruKai Herb Farm.
*This information is for educational purposes only. Please do not self-treat disease using herbs alone. Always consult with a qualified and registered herbalist.
