Meadowsweet (Spiraea ulmaria) seeds, organic
$3.95 – $44.10
Family: Rose (Rosaceae)
Hardy to Zones 3 to 9
(The Latin name Spiraea ulmaria is synonymous with the Latin name Filipendula ulmaria)
Herbaceous perennial to about 4 feet. Native to temperate Europe and Asia. Multiple stems arise from a spreading crown with delicate, ferny leaves. Masses of creamy flowers are fragrant, like honey and mead. We specialize in this plant, which gives copious quantities of flowers. Traditional usage TWM): anti-inflammatory and pain relieving. Source of salicylic acid. The word “aspirin” was invented as a conjuncton of the Latin “a spirea” meaning “of Spirea.” Plant prefers rich, moisture retentive loam, plenty of water, and a part shade to full sun exposure. The seeds are slow to germinate and should be kept barely covered, cool, evenly moist, and in part shade. Pot up seedlings and work up to size before transplanting out. This usually takes 6 weeks in the spring greenhouse or in the summer shadehouse. Space plants 2 feet apart.
Packet contains 100 seeds
1 g contains ~1,500 seeds
5 g contains ~ 7,500 seeds
10 g contains ~15,000 seeds
Certified Organically Grown
Question
Nora (verified owner) –
Any tips for getting these to germinate in 7b (northern DE)?
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Richo Cech –
hi nora, these need to be convinced to germinate, a lot of people have trouble with them. the trick is to provide even temperatures for an extended period. a lot of people fail because they plant seeds too deeply or fail to tamp. The seeds are slow to germinate and should be kept barely covered, cool, evenly moist, and in part shade. richo
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Mindy –
I’m in zone 5b (southeastern Iowa). Would I be able to just plant directly in the soil in the fall and would they come up next spring?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Mindy,
Thanks for contacting. I’m from Iowa too by the way. Anyhow, guardedly, yes, the roots are perennial and pretty cold hardy. Choose a shady spot and mark the plants well, they awaken late in spring. richo
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Question
Tammy Wood –
How well would this do in Northwest Indiana? It is September 22nd 2021 … Should I plant them outside when I get them ? Or plant them inside for the winter and replant them outside in the spring? Or would it be best to just wait till spring to plant them outside? If I plant them soon , Will they flower next summer? Im not usually into gardening, but I’m wanting to start and I found this has many benefits for my family as well as for the bees ? so I’m very interested in learning the best way to grow this? Any advice is greatly appreciated ! Thank you !
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Richo Cech –
Hello Tammy,
Thanks for staying in touch. Meadowsweet is indeed a good herb for you to grow, hopefully in a place with rich soil and some shade. The plant requires a winter dormancy so indoor growing is not advised, and your zone is too cold to expect the plant to root in before frost at this point–get the seeds now (new crop is in) or get the plant in the spring. I hope to still have these to offer in the spring. Richo
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Amanda Barrett Wilcox (verified owner) –
Hi Richo I am considering filling close to an acre in a wet meadow with Meadowsweet to then harvest for use. Last year I started the seeds in pots then planted in the ground. Like you said -it took forever, Do you rec any certain soil combo that may improve my chances? I was using a promix mixed w vermiculite. I have yet to see if the 3 (only!!) I planted come back. I am in Northern Virginia. What are your thoughts on success with a larger area and slow moving meadowsweet? Im afraid the weeds will beat it out. Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hello Amanda,
You’re right about meadowsweet being slow to germinate and progress. The plant also has a strong dormancy and shouldn’t have shown yet–they overwinter reliably. An acre of meadowsweet would be an incredible sight, a magnet for all levels of nature, a rare thing, difficult to establish against the growth of grasses and such, productive on a level that would probably strain processing resources–several tons of aerials to dry, etc.
a 2 by 2 foot spacing works out to 10,800 plants per acre
do you have a big enough greenhouse to grow 10,800 plants?
meadowsweet likes a moist, dense soil (loam or sandy loam)
although the meadow adage brings up the image of a sunny meadow, the plant really does better with shade
personally do not use any vermiculite or commercial starting mixes but sounds like it could be good.
in terms of weed control, the plants should be set in rows so you can rototill or tractor cultivate between the rows, and hand release between the plants. it is workable, it is how it is done.
richo
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Amanda Barrett Wilcox (verified owner) –
Ok yes thats quite a bit of meadowsweet! I could prob only do 500 pots. I agree w you on the soil what do you recommend? I was hoping to plant it with other herbs like skull cap and gentian for lower growers as well and steadily build toward a larger patch.
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Richo Cech –
For planting meadowsweet seeds I would suggest a heavy mix based on peat or coir, with some coarse, sharp sand for drainage and some compost for nutrients. Most of us make our own mixes because each plant wants something a little different.. fine tune. r
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Kelly Schoen –
In TX we ordered the plants, and put the meadowsweet near a wall so 1/2 shaded during the day. All plants thrived! Makes a wonderful tea, that is noticeably emotionally uplifting and best yet, tastes great : )
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Donna –
Hello Richo,
I have a couple of questions. First, how many plants would I want to keep in my garden that would allow me to harvest flowers for my own use, and let some set seed for collection. Second, what size pots would you recommend for overwintering in an unheated greenhouse. Third, if I seed in the next couple of weeks (It’s July 6th) would they flower next year? And lastly, would I still have time this year to plant out this fall the ones I plan to keep for my own garden? (I’m in western Washington)
Thank you. I appreciate the knowledge you share with us.
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Richo Cech –
Hello Donna,
Thanks for contacting. It is my pleasure to do my best to share what I know about the various plants. Meadowsweet does make a fairly large plant, so I think a triangle (3 plants) planted to the shade garden would be enough for home use, medicine making and seed saving. In California and the Pacific NW we have the unique opportunity to start herbaceous perennials throughout the year. These may be planted to the garden as small seedlings in the fall, which encourages bountiful flowering the following year, or the plants may be worked up in gallon-size or greater pots in the greenhouse, which also affords sufficient winter protection to make sure they don’t expire during dormancy.
Richo
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