Meadowsweet, Queen of the Meadow

The Queen of the Meadow, Meadowsweet, Filipedula ulmaria, is in full flower in Midlothian. It’s always a pleasure to see the fizzy white flowers appear along stream beds and the damp edges of meadows, like an exuberant foam. The almond smell and palpable happiness of the myriad insects buzzing about the flowers just makes a body feel good.

Meadowsweet has a long history of use in mead making, and it is indeed honey season and therefore mead season right now. The herb has a slightly almond taste, pleasingly tannic, with a certain freshness. It is one of my absolute favourites. Its old latin name was Spirea, and it is the plant from which aspirin was first isolated. The fresh flavour is due at least in part to the

salicylates it contains. 

Medicinally, it has some actions one would expect: it is anti-inflammatory, and you can use it for headaches, aches and pains, fevers, and the other common ailments for which you might use aspirin. But it is a great deal more than Mother of Aspirin. For one thing, aspirin has been strongly implicated in the development of stomach ulcers, even when taken at low doses; meadowsweet, with its astringent tannins and soothing mucilage, helps to both tone up gastric tissue so the wound will heal, and soothe the inflamed tissue relieving pain. It also aids tissue repair in the gastrointestinal tract.

And then there is that wonderful fragrance. The smell alone is enough to lift even the darkest clouds, and when dealing with digestive problems occurring with or associated with stress, depression, or anxiety, meadowsweet is a remedy second to none. It is also quite a safe remedy, one that is well tolerated without danger of overdose (within reasonable limits, of course. An adage of ancient Roman medicine still in common use is, “the dose makes the poison.” (See here for typical doses.) Salicylate-containing herbs can exacerbate asthma and may interact with blood thinners like warfarin, so asthmatics and those on blood thinning medication - as well as pregnant or nursing women - should consult a medical herbalist before using meadowsweet. Aside from those situations, it is a great home remedy for those prone to heartburn, occasional headaches, colds and flu, and your garden variety aches and pains.

Meadowsweet can be taken in tea or tincture, and makes a wonderful oxymel, a preparation which combines herbs, honey and vinegar. It is also worth noting that, while I love the flowers, leaves and stems are also good medicine and the plant can be picked well before it flowers. Consult a good flower key, one like Rose’s Flower Key, for help with identification, but it is best to go out with an experienced someone until you are confident in your identification.

Meads all around for the Queen of the Meadow!