Meadowsweet

Questions about meadowsweet

Does meadowsweet need sun or shade?

Meadowsweet grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants moist to wet soil, rich in organic matter, and plenty of water.

What zones does meadowsweet grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does meadowsweet flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late June to early August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should meadowsweet be planted?

20 in (50 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many meadowsweet plants do I need?

At 20 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 4 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 14 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

Is meadowsweet poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

What can I plant instead of meadowsweet?

Meadowsweet is listed as invasive in parts of North America (1 listing), so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:

• Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not cream, wants moist soil.
• Garden phlox 'David': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid July to early September, white, not cream.
• Bee balm 'Jacob Cline': the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in wider, red, not cream.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat meadowsweet?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will meadowsweet spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by creeping roots and seed in wet ground, and has naturalised in the Northeast. Wisconsin regulates it as an invasive plant. Cut off the spent plumes.

It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.

What flowers after meadowsweet?

Meadowsweet is over by early August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation': from early August to mid September, 3½ ft tall.

What does meadowsweet look like in winter?

Meadowsweet dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is meadowsweet good for bees and butterflies?

Meadowsweet is visited by bees.