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plants foraging guide Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 903 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 904 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 905 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 906 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 907 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 908 Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) 909

Edibility

Edibility:Edible

Eating notes: The flowers and leaves of Meadowsweet have traditionally been used for flavouring a range of drinks including mead - hence its alternative name of Meadwort.
A tea can also be made from the flowers which, since they contain salicylic acid (aspirin,) acts as a natural pain remedy.

Season

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
            

Frequency

Common

Description

Meadowsweet is a locally common herb growing in damp ground on marshes and river banks.

Height: 120 - 160cm

Leaves: Meadowsweet leaves are quite distinctive. Pairs of oval leaflets grow along a pinkish stem with tiny leaflets on the stem in between. The leaf stem a deeply divided three (sometimes five) pointed terminal leaf. All leaves are sharply and regularly toothed, darker above and silvery below.

Flowers: White loosely formed clusters of small flowers with yellow/cream centres and multiple long stamen.

Stems: Plants grow in a branching structure. Stems are smooth and often tinged with red 

Seeds: The seed pods are also distinctive with seeds spiralling around each other in a twisted ball.

Look-a-likes: The flowers and leaves are sufficiently distinctive for Meadowsweet not to be easily confused with anything else.