Mendel’s Gardens

Filipendula ulmaria

Meadowsweet · Queen Of The Meadow · Bridewort

Family RosaceaeGenus Filipendula

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Herbaceous perennialPlant Finder
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Height
3-6 ftPlant Finder
Spread
1-3 ftPlant Finder
Flower
Showy, fragrant, good cut; white to yellowish-whitePlant Finder
Blooms
June to AugustPlant Finder
Native range
Western Asia, EuropePlant Finder
Hardiness zones
3-9Plant Finder

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun to part shade
Watering
Medium to wet

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Two sources report 5 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedSER, INSR and RBG Kew, 2026

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Alternating temperatures

    Duration: 28 daysTemperature: 50–77°F 10–25°C Light: eitherMedium: 1% agar

    25C by day and 10C by night, 8 hours light.

about 4 weeks from start to sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

95% germination in 28 days.

Alternating day and night temperatures, which is what Deno's constant 70 and 40 never offered.

Seed Information Database — SER, INSR and RBG Kew, 2026 · Germination records, ser-sid.orgCreative Commons Attribution — reused with credit
Show the original text
Filipendula ulmaria · 95% germination · sample size 20 · 1% agar · 8/16 light hours · 25/10°C (Therm 8/16) · 28 days · United Kingdom
Seed Information Database, Germination records, ser-sid.org. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow on the surface — do not cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

7% germination in 14 days.

Deno's experiment was only six weeks old when he wrote it up.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, FilipendulaPublic domain
Show the original text
Filipendula (Rosaceae). F. ulmaria germ. 70L(7% in 2nd w), 70 GA-3(3%), and none in 70 or 40. Experiments are only 6 w old.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Filipendula. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

3% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, FilipendulaPublic domain
Show the original text
Filipendula (Rosaceae). F. ulmaria germ. 70L(7% in 2nd w), 70 GA-3(3%), and none in 70 or 40. Experiments are only 6 w old.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Filipendula. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

    None germinated.

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, FilipendulaPublic domain
Show the original text
Filipendula (Rosaceae). F. ulmaria germ. 70L(7% in 2nd w), 70 GA-3(3%), and none in 70 or 40. Experiments are only 6 w old.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Filipendula. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

    None germinated.

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

This source doesn't state how long.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, FilipendulaPublic domain
Show the original text
Filipendula (Rosaceae). F. ulmaria germ. 70L(7% in 2nd w), 70 GA-3(3%), and none in 70 or 40. Experiments are only 6 w old.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Filipendula. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.