Meadowsweet
Spiraea tomentosa
Last reviewed: September 2026
Spiraea tomentosa is a deciduous shrub with spikes of rose pink flowers from June through August. It grows well in wet meadows, pastures, and roadside ditches with medium to consistently moist soil.
Toxicity unknown
Meadowsweet (Spiraea tomentosa) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Meadowsweet as toxic to livestock.
Light
part sun
Water
medium
Size
24"–48" H × 24"–36" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
AL, AR, CT, DE and 26 more states
Pollinators
bees, butterflies, moths
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
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Meadowsweet is a compact native shrub that produces fuzzy pink flower spikes from June through August. This well-behaved plant forms neat clumps and works well in mixed borders or foundation plantings.
Growing Meadowsweet
Grow Meadowsweet in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 24 to 48 inches tall and spread 24 to 36 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Meadowsweet is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 4 out of 5.
Works well in: front yard, foundation, street edge, mid zone.
- Winter appearance is bare stems only
Wildlife value
The long-blooming flowers attract bees, butterflies, and moths throughout the summer months. Its dense growth habit also provides good nesting sites for small birds.
Common questions
- When does Spiraea tomentosa bloom?
- Meadowsweet typically flowers from June through August, producing dense spike shaped clusters of small pink blooms at the tips of the stems.
- What pollinators visit Spiraea tomentosa?
- The flower spikes attract bees, butterflies, and moths, which feed on the nectar produced through the summer bloom period.
- How much light does Spiraea tomentosa need?
- It grows best with part sun but tolerates conditions ranging from full sun to part shade, flowering most heavily with more direct light.
- How much water does Spiraea tomentosa require?
- This shrub prefers medium to consistently moist soil and tolerates wetter sites such as low meadows, marsh edges, and ditches.
- What growth habit does Spiraea tomentosa have?
- It is a multi stemmed deciduous shrub that spreads by suckering, often forming dense colonies in damp open ground.
- Is Meadowsweet toxic to livestock?
- The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Meadowsweet as toxic to livestock.
- Is Meadowsweet HOA-friendly?
- Meadowsweet is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Meadowsweet? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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