Since childhood meadowsweet tea has been on the top of my favorite herbal teas. Firstly because I usually was the one to harvest meadowsweet flowers enjoying their truly sweet scent and they grew close to my home. Secondly, that's a tea even people with sweet-tooth can drink without adding any sweeteners. And thirdly, it has always helped to calm down my mind and get a good night's sleep.
Obviously, I'm not the only one who loves this flower. Bees love to visit this flower to gather pollen, and this herb got almost a sacred place in pagan rituals. In those stinky centuries behind us when people had problems with hygiene due to the lack of clean water, meadowsweet was one of the most popular strewing herbs to improve the scent in rooms of aristocracy (as it contains aromatic essential oils). It's also used as a spice for food, added to jams, wines and beer and used to make medicine, for example, it contains substances that are used to make aspirin.
Get to know this sweet lady from countryside:
Filipendula Ulmaria
Names: Mead Wort or Meadowsweet, Bridewort, Meadow Queen, Dropwort, Lady of the Meadow.
Where to find? It is native in Europe and Western Asia, but has been introduced and grows naturally in Northern America as well. It usually grows in moist meadows, forests and slopes and blooms in June-July with white-yellow flowers.
How to harvest? Harvest meadowseet flowers and dry them in warm, shadowy places avoiding direct sunlight.
What for? Helpful to fight cold, flu, fever and bronchitis, get rid of bladder infections (due to it's diuretic qualities), relieves rheumatism, arthritis and joint pain. Meadowsweet is also well known for its' digestive properties, but sailicylic acid in its' content is a natural painkiller. It's a herb to use externally as well for irritated skin and fresh stalk and leaf infusion is used to wash hair to improve hair growth. One more great benefit of meadowsweet is its calming properties making it a perfect evening tea to ensure a good night's sleep (in case if it doesn't have too strong diuretic effects on you!).
How to use? Make infusions to add to bath water, mix it in calming teas, add dried meadowsweet to home made soap and dream pillows.
Take a note:
People with asthma shouldn't use this herb due to it's contents similarities with aspirin.
Want to know how to harvest and store meadowsweet and other wild herbs? Check this article: Guide To Harvesting Wild Herbs
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