Flower profile

White meadowsweet

Spiraea alba

Native in the lower 48

White meadowsweet is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

27states

8of our state lists

23,785U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia

Quick look

Spiraea alba, commonly known as meadowsweet, white meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, the botanical pale bridewort, or pipestem, is native to the wet soils of the Allegheny Mountains and other portions of eastern North America, but is currently endangered in the state of Missouri. It is naturalized in other parts of the world.
From Wikipedia's article Spiraea alba, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 4,151 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #7 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,091 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #45 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,963 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #76 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist

White meadowsweet gift ideas

Handmade white meadowsweet gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

Placeholder

White meadowsweet art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

White meadowsweet greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

White meadowsweet mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

White meadowsweet earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

White meadowsweet embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

White meadowsweet sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,642 records)

Bloom time in each of our 8 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	June–September	4,151
Massachusetts	Native	June–September	3,091
New York	Native	July–August	2,963
New Hampshire	Native	June–September	2,916
Vermont	Native	July–September	2,461
Connecticut	Native	June–September	671
West Virginia	Native	few records	338
Rhode Island	Native	few records	323

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in West Virginia.
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S1), NC (S2), TN (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records white meadowsweet in 27 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Madison, Nassau, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Schuyler, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester.

More Maine flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–October

Multiflora rose

Rosa multiflora

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–July

Mock strawberry

Potentilla indica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: March–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SPAL2.
iNaturalist, Spiraea alba: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Spiraea alba (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Spiraea alba (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura J. Costello via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.