ROSE FAMILY 



ROSACEAE 



MEADOW SWEET 



spiraea salicifolia L. 



The Meadow Sweet or Queen of the Meadow is a shrub 

 2-6 feet high, the tough yellowish brown stems of which are 

 covered with fine hairs. It is found in moist places from New York 



to North Carolina and Miss- 

 ouri, northwestward to Sas- 

 katchewan, and blooms from 

 June to August. It is not ex- 

 tensively cultivated because 

 other species, such as the Brid- 

 al Wreath, Spiraea prunifolia 

 Sieb. & Zucc, introduced from 

 Japan, are preferred. 



The alternate leaves are 

 firm, pointed at tip and base, 

 and finely and sharply toothed. 

 They are about 2-2^4 inches 

 long. 



The flowers have a slight odor but are 



not fragrant: in this respect the name 



Meadow Sweet is somewhat misleading 



but it applies very well to the simple 



beauty of the plant. The short calyx is 



';;-Iobed and persists as the fruit matures. 



The 5 slightly curved and rounding petals are white, 



and 10-50 rosy stamens project from the flower to 



give it a feathery appearance. Five to 8 pistils are 



present and develop into small several-seeded pods. 



The Hardback or Steeplebush, Spiraea tomcntosa 

 L., is sometimes found in low grounds in the northern 

 part of the state. Its stems and lower surfaces of the 

 ovate or oblong and toothed leaves are very woolly. 

 The rose or rarely white flowers are in short racemes 

 in a dense panicle, and the pods are also woolly. 



There were many flowers in my motlK-r's garden, 

 Sword-leaved gladiolas. taller far than I. 

 Sticky-leaved petunias, pink and purple flaring. 

 Velvet-painted pansies smiling at the sky ; 

 Scentless portulacas crowded down the borders. 

 White and scarlet-petalled. rose and satin-gold. 

 Clustered sweet alyssum. lacy-white and scented. 

 Sprays of gray-green lavender to keep 'til you were old. 



In Mil Mother's Oarden — Margaret Widdemer 



146 



