Filipendula ulmaria Plena

The  Filipendula ulmaria 'Plena' is the double-flowered form of meadowsweet, this beautiful European wild plant that we find in the wet and sunny places of our countryside. Brilliant and airy, its pure white and airy panicles, called corymbs, attract a large number of pollinating insects from June to August. Ideal for wet areas and water edges, it is at the same time very elegant, robust and hardy, it is suitable for different types of gardens and requires no maintenance.

Meadowsweet is a plant of the rose family, just like spireas and potentillas. This Eurasian plant is found in wet places such as stream banks or ditches, in open and sunny spaces. This plant has been known for centuries for its many virtues. First, aromatic: it perfumes wines, beers and mead. But also medicinal: it is used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic. In our gardens, it is mainly decorative, and its double-flowered form is even more so. The Filipendula ulmaria 'Plena' forms an erect tuft 1 m (3ft) high and 60 cm (24in) wide. From its rhizomatous stump, long branching stems start, carrying large shiny leaves of a bright green. These are odd-pinnate, meaning they are composed of an odd number of leaflets, clearly crenate and pinnate, with a wavy surface that pleasantly reflects light. At the end of the stems, airy corymbs sway in the wind. They are made up of multiple small white and double flowers, slightly fragrant.

The 'Plena' meadowsweet is a tall perennial that can be used to create a lush,  airy and wild background. It is resistant to cold and enjoys both sunny and semi-shady exposures. Its only requirement is to be planted in consistently moist to wet soil. It can be placed anywhere in flower beds, behind small, stocky plants such as perennial geraniums and heucheras, and between tall, slender plants, such as monkshoods, comfreys, and other bearded irises. It can also be associated with pink varieties like Filipendula 'Rubra Venusta', purple astilbes, or veronicas with violet spikes that also appreciate moist soils.