MEADOW MEDICINE

A PRETTY MEMBER OF THE ROSE FAMILY, MEADOWSWEET HAS A LONG HISTORY OF THERAPEUTIC AND SACRED USES

Words Dr Karen Bridgman

Also known as queen of the meadow, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is a perennial herb in the rose family. A native of Europe and the Middle East, it has delicate, lacy creamy-white flowers with a strong, sweet smell and commonly grows in damp areas and wet woods. As the whole plant is aromatic, it was used in ancient times as a strewing herb (before the advent of air fresheners) to give rooms a pleasant fragrance. It has also been frequently used to flavour many ferments such as wines, beers, meads and vinegars, as well as being added to stewed fruit and jams, giving a subtle almond flavour and aroma. The flowers are often used in potpourri. Meadowsweet has been found in Bronze Age graves with people and animals, and in Welsh mythology Gwydion…

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Good Organic Gardening (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue #14.3

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