white meadowsweet

Spiraea alba

White meadowsweet is a lovely shrub that blooms with fluffy white flowers in the summer. It grows in wetlands and is great for attracting butterflies and bees!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The white meadowsweet is a medium-sized shrub with a bushy, upright form. It has slender stems topped with airy, conical clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers that create a fluffy appearance. Its narrow, green leaves are serrated along the edges.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderRosalesFamilyRosaceaeGenusSpiraea

white meadowsweet

Interesting facts

It's a champion at growing in soggy, wet soils where many other plants would struggle!

Its tiny white flowers grow in fluffy, cone-shaped clusters, looking like frosted spires!

People once brewed refreshing teas from its leaves and flowers, even before aspirin was made!

This plant is sometimes called 'pipestem' because its older, hollow stems were used for smoking pipes!

Special abilities

White meadowsweet can thrive in soggy, wet soils that most plants dislike, helping it colonize unique habitats.

White meadowsweet has abundant, nectar-rich flowers that attract many different insects, helping it reproduce.

White meadowsweet can spread underground with rhizomes, helping it grow into dense patches and secure its territory.

Measurements & details

Height: 100-200 cm
Spread: 90-180 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-1 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar and pollen

pollinates

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

gathers pollen and nectar

pollinates

Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

sips nectar from flowers

eaten by

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

browses its leaves and twigs

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Summer Blooming

Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.

Fragrant Flower

Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.

Medicinal

Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.

Fall Color

Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues.

Pollinator Magnet

Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.