Leaf
Chris.urs-o, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Queen of the prairie
Filipendula rubra (Hill) B.L.Rob.
Also known as: Prairie queen
Family: Rosaceae
1.50 to 2.50 m tall
Damp meadows, stream banks, cool garden borders
Flowering: July – August
Full sun
Part shade
-30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its huge feathery bright pink panicles can exceed two metres in height, dominating the whole border in summer. Queen of the prairie, even taller (up to 2.50 m) than meadowsweet, has distinctly pink flowers and compound leaves without white down beneath. Meadowsweet has very fragrant creamy-white flowers and whitish, downy leaflets beneath. Unlike meadowsweet, which occurs in the wild in France, queen of the prairie is grown only in gardens.
🍃 Leaves
Large compound pinnate leaves, toothed, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Large feathery bright pink panicles, very dense and lightly fragrant
🍎 Fruits
Small clustered achenes, barely visible
🪵 Bark
Erect, sturdy, sparsely branched stems
🗺️ Distribution
Native to eastern North America; absent from the wild French flora, grown in perennial gardens.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large panicles much visited by bees and butterflies in high summer.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Back of a damp border, pond margins, wildflower meadows; imposing silhouette and spectacular bright pink flowering.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Queen of the prairie
Filipendula rubra
Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria
Queen of the prairie, even taller (up to 2.50 m) than meadowsweet, has distinctly pink flowers and compound leaves without white down beneath. Meadowsweet has very fragrant creamy-white flowers and whitish, downy leaflets beneath. Unlike meadowsweet, which occurs in the wild in France, queen of the prairie is grown only in gardens.
🌿 Other Rosaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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