Filipendula – Hexapetala/Dropwort

Filipendula vulgaris, commonly called dropwort, is an upright, clump-forming perennial that typically grows to 2-3′ tall. It is native to dry limestone grasslands in Europe and Asia. Compound-pinnate, finely-divided, dark green leaves (4-10″ long) contain many pairs of leaflets (to 1″ long). Plant leaves primarily appear in basal rosettes, typically forming a mound of foliage to 12″ tall. Foliage has a carrot-like or fern-like appearance. Tiny, fragrant, creamy white flowers bloom in late spring to early summer in branched, astilbe-like, terminal panicles (corymbs) that rise well above the foliage mound to 2-3′ tall atop sparsely leaved stems. Plants have tuberous spreading rootstocks. Filipendula hexapetala is now included within Filipendula vulgaris.

Genus name comes from the Latin words filum meaning a thread and pendulus meaning hanging for the root tubers in some species that hang together with threads.