Dropwort - Filipendula vulgaris Dropwort - Filipendula vulgaris
Foto: botanika.wendys.cz

Herb: Dropwort


Latin name: Filipendula vulgaris


Synonyms: Filipendula hexapetala, Spiraea filipendula, Ulmaria filipendula


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Dropwort:

The root is anthelmintic and lithontripic. It is used in the treatment of epilepsy, kidney and bladder stones, genital discharges and intestinal worms.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
75 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
May to
August


Scent:
Scented
Perennial

Habitat of the herb:

Dry pastures on limestone or chalky soils.

Edible parts of Dropwort:

Young leaves - raw or cooked. They can be added to salads and soups. Root - raw or cooked. Rather bitter. Astringent. Best if roasted. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity.

Other uses of the herb:

Plants can be used as a ground cover when planted about 45cm apart each way. The cultivar "Flore Pleno" with sweetly scented double flowers has been recommended.

Propagation of Dropwort:

Seed - best sown in the autumn in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in spring, germinating best at a temperature of 10 - 13°C. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have grown enough. If not, keep them in a cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring. Division in autumn or winter. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry pastures on limestone or chalky soils.

Known hazards of Filipendula vulgaris:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.