Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, also known as Queen of the Meadow, lady of the Meadow or Meadwort, is a member of the Roseaceae family. Meadowsweet was one of the favourites of Queen Elizabeth I who preferred this as the strewing herb to make her chambers smell nice. The herb also used to be used in mead as a flavouring, according to the herbalist John Gerard, ‘for the smell thereof makes the heart merry, delighteth the senses’. Due to research on meadowsweet, salicylic acid was identified in the 19th century and eventually lead to the development and manufacture of the drug, aspirin. Magically, meadowsweet was sacred to the druids, lifting the spirits and associated with love and peace.
Meadowsweet is a herbaceous plant and grows perennially across europe in damp places but needs the sun to encourage flowering and vast swathes of this plant grow on the road verges in open, high, fenland.
The key constituents of meadowsweet are:
Essential Oils, including salicylaldehyde, anisaldehyde and methyl salicylate, tannins, mucilage, flavonoids, phenolic glycosides.
This product contains dried flowers, leaves and stems.
Suggested use: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons per mug of freshly boiled and slightly cooled water, allow to steep for 5 to 10 minutes and strain to remove herbs.
Please do remember that magical descriptions are for entertainment purposes only. Do not give herbs to children and be aware that if you are taking prescription medication, have a known medical condition or are pregnant or lactating, you should seek advice from your medical practitioner and a qualified herbalist who is a member of a professional organisation such as NIMH or CPP before taking herbs. Please do not offer herbs to other people without making them aware that they should also follow this advice.
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