# Plant Monograph: Queen of the Meadow
**Name of plant:**
Queen of the Meadow
**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
No *Carmina Gadelica* invocation is specifically recorded for Queen of the Meadow. A traditional European name, **Meadowsweet**, evokes the plant's long association with meadows, summer flowering, fragrance, and domestic herbalism. Irish ethnobotanical records also preserve its reputation as a traditional medicinal herb. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][1])
**Family:**
Rosaceae — Rose family
**Genus and species:**
*Filipendula ulmaria* (L.) Maxim.
Synonym: *Spiraea ulmaria* L. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][2])
**Other names:**
Meadowsweet; Queen of the Meadow; Queen-of-the-Meadow; Meadow Queen; Bridewort; Bride of the Meadow; Lady of the Meadow; European Meadowsweet; Double Lady of the Meadow; Meadow-wort; Pride of the Meadow; *Spiraea ulmaria*
**Brief introduction:**
Queen of the Meadow is a tall, aromatic perennial of wet meadows, marshes, riverbanks, wet woods and other moisture-rich habitats. It is native to Europe and western Asia and has become naturalized in parts of North America. Its tall stems carry deeply divided leaves and clouds of fragrant cream-white flowers, generally appearing from June through August. ([Plant Toolbox][3])
The plant has an especially distinguished place in European herbalism. Its flowers and aerial parts have long been used for feverish illnesses, digestive complaints, pain and inflammation. It is also chemically notable for its **salicylate compounds**, which helped make meadowsweet historically important to the story of salicylate medicines. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][4])
**Traditional uses:**
* Remedy for fever and feverish colds
* Herbal treatment for aching joints, rheumatic pains and inflammation
* Digestive remedy for stomach discomfort, flatulence and indigestion
* Diuretic and urinary-supporting herb
* Traditional remedy for diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal complaints
**Historical use:**
* Used throughout European folk medicine for rheumatism and painful joints
* Used as a fragrant strewing herb and to scent rooms and household spaces
* Used in traditional beverages, cordials and herbal preparations
* Recorded in Irish folk medicine for stomach complaints and other ailments
* Became historically important as a natural source of salicylate compounds, preceding the development of modern aspirin chemistry
Its historical importance is considerable: European herbal traditions recognized meadowsweet as a medicine for pain and inflammation long before the pharmacological significance of its salicylates was understood. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][1])
**Parts used and method of use:**
* Flowering tops and aerial herb
* Flowers
Used as:
* Infusion of the dried flowering herb
* Infusion or tea of the flowers
* Tincture or liquid extract
* Culinary and aromatic preparation in beverages and occasionally desserts
The European medicinal drug is principally the **flowering aerial herb**, while the flowers themselves are also recognized as a medicinal material. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][2])
**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**
* Supportive treatment of minor joint and rheumatic pain
* Traditional treatment of common-cold symptoms
* Digestive bitter and aromatic for minor gastrointestinal discomfort
* Mild diuretic traditionally used to support urinary elimination
* Traditional anti-inflammatory and analgesic herb
The European Medicines Agency recognizes meadowsweet within the therapeutic areas of **pain and inflammation** and **cough and cold**, although its current monograph status is undergoing further review. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][2])
**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**
* **Salicylates** — including salicylaldehyde, methyl salicylate and related salicylate glycosides and precursors
* **Flavonoids** — including quercetin, kaempferol, rutin, hyperoside, quercitrin and related glycosides
* **Ellagitannins and other tannins** — including tellimagrandin and rugosin compounds
Mechanisms:
* Salicylate constituents can contribute to analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity after metabolic transformation
* Flavonoids and tannins provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in experimental systems
* Volatile salicylates and phenolic constituents contribute to the plant's characteristic fragrance and biological activity
Meadowsweet is chemically complex rather than simply a "natural aspirin." Its salicylates occur in several chemical forms, while its flavonoids, tannins and volatile constituents may contribute substantially to its overall activity. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][4])
**Overall profile:**
A classic European **aromatic anti-inflammatory, analgesic and digestive herb**, particularly rich in salicylate derivatives, flavonoids and tannins. Its chemistry provides a plausible foundation for its traditional use in aches, fever and inflammation, but it should **not be treated as equivalent to a standardized aspirin dose**.
**Common dosage:**
* **Dried flowering herb, infusion:** approximately 2–6 g/day divided into several cups
* **Dried flowers, infusion:** approximately 2–4 g/day
* **Tincture:** approximately 2–4 mL of a 1:5 tincture, up to three times daily
* **Liquid extract:** follow the manufacturer's standardized preparation and dosage
These are traditional herbal ranges rather than a universally established therapeutic dose. Preparation method substantially affects the amount and form of salicylates extracted.
**Safety factors (including side effects):**
* **Do not use in people with aspirin/salicylate hypersensitivity**, because meadowsweet contains salicylate compounds. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][5])
* Excessive consumption may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea or other digestive discomfort
* Avoid during pregnancy and lactation because adequate safety data are lacking. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][5])
* Use cautiously or avoid in people with asthma that is known to be triggered by aspirin or other NSAIDs
* Children and adolescents should not be given medicinal doses without appropriate professional guidance; safety data are insufficient. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][5])
**First aid / adverse reaction response:**
* **Nausea or stomach irritation:** Stop use; provide fluids as tolerated and monitor symptoms
* **Salicylate-type reaction:** Stop use and seek medical advice, particularly if ringing in the ears, vomiting, dizziness or unusual breathing develops
* **Allergic reaction:** Stop immediately; seek emergency care for breathing difficulty, facial swelling or rapidly developing symptoms
* **Suspected significant overdose:** Contact a poison-control centre or emergency medical service; do not attempt to treat a substantial ingestion at home
**Drug interactions:**
* May theoretically add to the effects of **aspirin or other salicylate-containing medicines**
* May theoretically add to the gastrointestinal or bleeding effects of **NSAIDs**
* Caution is appropriate with **anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicines**, although clinically documented interactions are limited
* Because meadowsweet contains salicylates, anyone taking regular prescription medicines for pain, inflammation, clotting or cardiovascular conditions should seek professional advice before medicinal use
The EMA assessment notes that clinical drug interactions have not been documented, while recognizing theoretical interaction potential with salicylates and NSAIDs. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][5])
**Horticultural requirements:**
* **USDA / Canadian zone:** USDA **3a–9b**; highly suitable for cold-temperate gardens, including much of Canada ([Plant Toolbox][3])
* **Soil pH:** approximately **6.0–8.0**; neutral to mildly alkaline soils preferred
* **Light requirements:** Partial shade to full sun
* **Moisture:** Consistently moist to occasionally wet; does poorly when allowed to dry out
* **Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):**
* **Growth habit:** Tall, clump-forming herbaceous perennial, commonly reaching about 1–1.2 m
* **Flowering/fruiting:** Fragrant cream-white flowers appear in large branched panicles, generally June–August
* **Harvest timing:** Flowering tops are harvested during flowering; early flowering material may contain particularly abundant volatile oil
* **Habitat:** Wet meadows, marshes, stream margins, wet woodland and riverbanks
* **Propagation/cultivation notes:** Prefers humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil. It tolerates heavy clay and can grow in full sun provided adequate moisture is maintained. It spreads readily and can become vigorous or weedy in favorable conditions. ([Plant Toolbox][3])
**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**
* **Clinical/traditional assessment:** The EMA has evaluated *Filipendula ulmaria* herb and flowers within the therapeutic areas of minor pain/inflammation and cough/cold, with traditional medicinal use recognized in European herbal medicine. ([European Medicines Agency (EMA)][2])
* **Pharmacological study:** Experimental studies of *F. ulmaria* constituents demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity, although the precise contribution of individual constituents remains incompletely resolved. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][6])
* **Phytochemical study:** Modern analyses identify salicylaldehyde, methyl salicylate and other salicylates alongside flavonoids, phenolic glycosides and hydrolysable tannins. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][4])
* **Ethnobotanical evidence:** Irish and broader European ethnobotanical records document meadowsweet for stomach complaints, pain, inflammation and rheumatic conditions, with a long history in European folk medicine. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][1])
* **Overall assessment of evidence:** **Traditional evidence: strong. Phytochemical and experimental evidence: substantial. Human clinical evidence: limited to moderate.** The plant has a particularly well-established traditional history, but modern clinical evidence does not justify presenting it as a direct substitute for aspirin or other established anti-inflammatory medicines.
**A particularly important note for the monograph:** Queen of the Meadow deserves a prominent place in a Western herbal tradition because it sits at an interesting intersection of **folk medicine, food, fragrance and modern pharmacology**. Its salicylates helped inspire the historical understanding that eventually led to aspirin, but the plant itself contains a much broader chemical spectrum than salicylic acid alone. Its old reputation as a plant "for aches and fevers" therefore has a genuine pharmacological foundation, while still requiring appropriate caution around salicylate sensitivity. ([PubMed Central (PMC)][4])
[1]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5699017/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Are identities oral? Understanding ethnobotanical knowledge after Irish independence (1937–1939) - PMC"
[2]: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/filipendulae-ulmariae-herba?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Filipendulae ulmariae herba - herbal medicinal product | European Medicines Agency (EMA)"
[3]: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/filipendula-ulmaria/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Filipendula ulmaria (Double Lady of the Meadow, European Meadowsweet, Meadowsweet, Queen of the Meadow) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox"
[4]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8433760/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Insight into the Way the Content of Biologically Active Compounds in Meadowsweet Inflorescences (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.) Is Shaped by Phytosociological Habitats - PMC"
[5]: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/draft-assessment-report-filipendula-ulmaria-l-maxim-spiraea-ulmaria-l-herba-filipendula-ulmaria-l_en.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Filipendula ulmariae flos and herba - AR"
[6]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10146082/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "In Vitro Biotransformation and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Constituents and Metabolites of Filipendula ulmaria - PMC"
Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.