Meadowsweet is a tall, robust herb from the rose family that grows in damp soil on grassland and river banks where the water levels fluctuate. It’s not difficult to find – look for a big spray of frothy white flowers from June to September, atop green-to-reddish stems with paired, serrated leaflets.
The little individual flowers grow in dense clusters and have very long stamens, giving the flowerheads a fuzzy candy-floss appearance. They have a wonderful fragrance somewhere between wild privet, musk and almond.