Herb Directory

Meadowsweet, or Filipendula ulmaria, is a perennial herb native to Europe and Western Asia. Known for its sweet-scented flowers, meadowsweet has a long history of use in traditional medicine. In medieval Europe, it was one of the three sacred herbs used to treat various ailments, particularly fevers and pain.

The plant contains salicylic acid, a precursor to aspirin, which contributed to its pain-relieving properties. In the 19th century, meadowsweet’s active compound was used to develop acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin.

Today, meadowsweet is still valued in herbal medicine for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.