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Queen of the Prairie

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Also known as Filipendula
Filipendula rubra
Rosaceae Family

Tall and sturdy -- yet delicate-looking -- this native bears fluffy heads of tiny pink blooms above its ferny, toothed leaves. Prefers moist alkaline soil.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

full sun
part shade

Part shade helpful if soil not consistently moist.

Soil conditions:

requires well-drained soil
requires damp soil

Prefers constantly moist but well-drained soil.

Hardiness zones:

3 to 9

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 4 to 8 feet

Spread: 3 to 4 feet

Bloom time:

early summer
mid-summer

Flower color:

pink
other

Peach or pink, or a shade between the two colors.

Foliage color:

medium green
dark green

Foliage texture: coarse

Shape: cushion, mound or clump

Forms tall, mounded clump

Shape in flower: flower stalks with upright spikes

Blooms borne in dense clusters rising above the foliage.

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

aggressive - Spreads rapidly by creeping roots.
non-invasive
native to North America - Eastern North America
fragrant - Pleasant, sweet fragrance.

Special uses:

bog garden

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by division or separation - Divide in fall. Plants spread rapidly by creeping roots, and division helps to control overexpansion.

Maintenance and care:

Strong stems rarely need staking, except in high wind areas.
Do not deadhead, as the faded flower heads are decorative and it does little to encourage rebloom.
Keep soil moist, especially during heat and drought. Plant in soil high in organic matter and water-holding capacity.
Cut plants back severely in late summer if foliage becomes unsightly.
Seldom needs division and best left undisturbed. If division needed to help control spread, divide in fall.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Diseases:

Powdery mildew
Rust
Leaf spot

Varieties

Varieties include:
'Albicans' ('Magnificum Album') has white flowers and is shorter.
'Venusta' ('Magnifica', 'Venusta Magnifica'F. venusta) has deep pink flowers.
Related species include:
Siberian Meadowsweet (F. palmata) 4 feet tall with medium-green palmate leaves with fuzzy white undersides. Flowers range from pale to deep pink and are borne inclusters on erect stems. Zones 3 to 9. Russia, China, Japan.
Japanese Meadowsweet (F. purpurea) 4 feet tall with medium-green toothed, lobed leaves and erect purple-red flower stems with deep reddish pink blooms. Zones 4 to 9. Japan.
Queen of the Meadow, Meadowsweet F. ulmaria 2 to 3 feet tall with toothed, lobed medium-green leaves and erect, branched flower stems with dense clusters of creamy white blooms. Zones 3 to 9. Europe, Western Asia.