Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
Author: April Coburn
Latin name: Filipendula ulmaria
Family: Rosaceae
Common names: meadsweet, dolloff, queen of the meadow, bridewort, lady of the meadow
Botanical description: Meadowsweet is a perennial plant native to Europe and Western Asia. It has become naturalized in North America. Stems can grow 3 to 6 feet tall and are stiff and colored reddish to purple. Leaves are alternate and pinnate with alternating large and small leaflets that are serrated. The top of the leaves are dark green and the undersides are lighter, covered in downy hairs. Meadowsweet flowers in mid-summer with showy clusters of tiny white flowers that are very sweet-smelling. Flowers have 5 petals and 5 sepals.
Parts used: leaves and flowers, harvested when in flower
Taste: bitter, astringent, sweet
History: Meadowsweet has a long history of use in Europe where it was often used as a strewing herb in summertime, along with other aromatic herbs, to release fragrance when trod upon and hide unpleasant odors. The name Meadsweet was common in the 14th century when it was used in the making of mead, or honey wine. Herbalist John Gerard, writing around 1600, claimed that meadowsweet was useful for treating boils, malaria, burning and itching eyes (the distillate), and to “make the heart merrie”.
Maude Grieve, writing in the 1930s, states that it is helpful for suppressed urination, edema, and diarrhea (especially in children).
Energetics: cooling and drying
Degree of action: 3rd
Properties: analgesic, antacid, anti-inflammatory, stomachic, aromatic, astringent, diuretic, antirheumatic, carminative, antiemetic, antiseptic.
Constituents: Salicylic acids, silica, flavonoids, tannins, volatile oils, coumarin, iridoid glycosides,
Key uses: Meadowsweet can be helpful for upset or sour stomach, pain, inflammation, acid reflux, diarrhea, peptic ulcers, headache with indigestion, arthritis, rheumatism, edema, cellulitis, cystitis, and urinary stones.
Clinical uses: Meadowsweet excels as a digestive system normalizer. It is helpful in cases of indigestion, even when there is belching and bloating. David Hoffman writes that meadowsweet “protects and soothes the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, reducing excess acidity and easing nausea”. It can be used both as an antacid and in cases of over alkalinity. This can be especially helpful for folks taking commercial antacids, which suppress stomach acid. Because stomach acid plays an important role in digestion and protecting the GI tract from infection, meadowsweet offers a better alternative for symptom relief. Its astringent properties make it useful for cases of diarrhea. And though large doses may cause nausea, smaller doses are helpful for settling an upset stomach. Meadowsweet is also helpful in healing stomach ulcers. Whereas the isolated or synthetic salicylic acid found in aspirin can cause ulcers, this constituent in the whole plant is buffered by the plant’s other properties, making it not only safe but anti-inflammatory and healing to the stomach lining.
As a diuretic, meadowsweet aids in removing gravel in the urine and stimulating suppressed urination. It helps to remove uric acid from the tissues and joints, as well as to remove waste from the body. Its antiseptic properties also make it useful to include in urinary tract infection formulas.
Meadowsweet is an anodyne and anti-inflammatory and can be a great help in reducing pain and inflammation. However, because the salicylic acid is tied up in whole plant form, a digestion process of 6 to 8 hours is required before relief is felt. But because it helps remove deposits and waste from the joints as well, it can be helpful to take over time for joint inflammation and pain.
Externally, meadowsweet can be used as a wound antiseptic and to promote healing. It may also be helpful to reduce acne and to treat boils.
Dosage and method of delivery:
Regular infusion or standard infusion: up to one cup taken up to 4 times a day.
Tincture: fresh leaf and flower (1:2, 95% alcohol): dried leaf and flower (1:5, 50% alcohol), 1 to 5 mls. up to 4 times a day.
Hydrosol: one tablespoon diluted in water taken up to 4 times a day.
Capsules: 1,000 to 2,000 mg up to 3 times a day.
Personal observations: I have had patches of meadowsweet growing in the garden for many years. It is such a beautiful plant, even before it flowers. When it does flower, the clouds of sweetly scented blooms attract so many pollinators. I really do have a hard time harvesting this plant. I don’t want to cut down those flowers and take all that beauty out of the garden and away from the insects that love it so much.
I have made tea, tincture, and hydrosol with freshly harvested meadowsweet. I have primarily used this plant for digestive complaints. Its taste and energy are so mild that it is easy to take and safe even for children. It combines well with other herbs in formula, but it is also lovely and effective all by itself.
I was able to witness the power of meadowsweet a few years ago when I was helping a friend with some digestive complaints. She was suffering from a sour stomach and experienced belching every time she ate anything. On top of this, this elderly woman was so sensitive she could not tolerate any strong herbs or alcohol tinctures. I gave her meadowsweet as a hydrosol and had her take one tablespoon diluted in water whenever the belching started. Her stomach immediately settled down, giving her great relief.
Cautions and considerations: Large doses can cause nausea and vomiting. Avoid using it with children experiencing fevers. Avoid in cases of salicylate sensitivity.
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April Coburn is a clinical herbalist living and working in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Sky House Herb School and an advanced student at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine. April teaches local classes in beginning and advanced herbal medicine making, works one-on-one with clients, and offers regular herbal medicine content, including medicine-making posts and online classes, through her Patreon page, An Herbalist's Journal (https://www.patreon.com/nettlejuice). For more information, visit nettlejuice.com.
References:
Easley, T., and Horne, S. (2016). The Modern Herbal Dispensatory. California: North Atlantic Books
Hoffman, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism. Rochester, Vermont. Healing Arts Press.
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal (Old World edition). Berkeley, California: North) Atlantic Books.
Grieve, M. (1982 reprint). A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover Publications.
Bone, K. Mills, S. (2013). Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Elsevier Ltd.
Filipendula ulmaria - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipendula_ulmaria. retrieved July 2, 2021