How to Plant and Grow Queen of the Prairie

Count on queen of the prairie, also called meadowsweet, to pick up the floral show in your garden when spring-blooming perennials peter out. In midsummer, cloudlike clusters of pink or white blooms rise above the ferny, toothed leaves of this North American native. Although the fluffy flower stalks look delicate, this tall, sturdy perennial will stand up to wind and various tough soil conditions. Its flowers hold their color and shape for three weeks or more, moving the garden from mid- to late summer.

Where to Plant Queen of the Prairie

Place these tall plants near the back of the garden so the green divided leaves create a backdrop for other flowering plants. It's also a good choice for creating a living screen or fence. Plant it near your property line where it will enclose your space with frothy flowers. Native to wetlands, this perennial will also thrive in rain gardens.

Pair queen of the prairie with other North American native plants for easy-care plant combinations that are wildlife-friendly and beckon pollinators. Evoke a meadow in your landscape by planting queen of the prairie alongside spider flower, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, bee balm, salvia, lobelia, and aster. For an eye-catching texture contrast, add regional grasses. A few striking examples include 'Cheyenne Sky' switch grass, 'Carousel' little bluestem, and blue sedge.

How and When to Plant Queen of the Prairie

Plant this perennial from transplants purchased at your local garden center because it can be tough to germinate indoors from seed. Dig a hole about the same width and depth as the planting container. Mix some compost into the soil. Remove the plant and loosen the roots from the root ball before placing in the hole. Backfill with the mixed soil, tamp lightly, and water well. Space several plants 2 feet apart. Queen of the prairie rarely needs staking.

Queen of the Prairie Care Tips

Light

Plant in full sun or part shade. It will flower best when sited in a sunny spot but will appreciate a bit of afternoon shade in hot climates.

Soil and Water

For strong growth and robust flowering, plant queen of the prairie in moist, well-drained soil. It does well in rich garden soil but will excel in a damp setting that mimics its native habitat. Ensure that it receives ample watering during dry spells.

Temperature and Humidity

As a prairie native, this plant can handle temperature and humidity extremes. It can handle cold winters and hot summers but is not suited to arid climates.

Fertilizer

Queen of the prairie likes a rich, fertile soil. Add a top-dressing of compost in the spring around the roots and mix into the soil when planting new specimens.

Pruning

Skip deadheading if you don't mind self-seeding; it doesn't promote reblooming and the faded flower heads are a lovely accent in the fall garden. Cut the flower stalks down to the ground in late fall or early spring before new growth begins.

Potting and Repotting Queen of the Prairie

This is a large and tall plant that isn't really suited to container culture.

Pests and Problems

Queen of the prairie is generally low-maintenance and problem-free. Japanese beetles and powdery mildew trouble queen of the prairie occasionally. Your plants will usually recover the following year but cut foliage back in late summer if it becomes unsightly. Make sure that your plants are spaced well to provide good air circulation. Deer generally won't bother this plant.

How to Propagate Queen of the Prairie

The plant grows best when undisturbed; there is rarely a need to dig up and divide it, but if you divide queen of the prairie, expect the plant to grow slowly for a couple of years before it returns to its former state. To divide queen of the prairie, dig it up and keep plenty of soil around the roots. Check to make sure there's at least one healthy root shoot per division. Use a sharp knife or shears to divide with clean cuts. Once divided, replant the divisions at the same depth in the soil they were when you dug them up and water generously.

The plant self-seeds freely and can form a large colony if given the best conditions. Growing by seed indoors isn't as reliable—it requires cold stratification and up to several months for germination.

Types of Queen of the Prairie

Plant breeders are currently working on selecting more varieties of this North American native. Check your local garden center for petite varieties that reach a mature height of only 2 to 3 feet tall.

has striking deep pink to red flowers that will spice up your garden.

Queen of the prairie 'Albicans'

'Albicans' has showy white flowers on top of 5- to 6-foot-tall stems

Queen of the prairie 'Venusta'

'Venusta' has striking deep pink to red flowers that will spice up your garden.

Queen of the Prairie Companion Plants

Perennial Salvia

There are hundreds of different types of salvias, commonly called sage, but they all tend to share tall flower spikes and often gray-green leaves. Countless sages (including the herb used in cooking) are available to decorate ornamental gardens, and new selections appear annually. They're valued for their long bloom season—right up until frost. Dense or loose spires of tubular flowers in bright blues, violets, yellow, pinks, and red form on square stems clothed with often aromatic leaves. Zones 3-10

Lobelia

Colorful lobelias are excellent for landscaping around ponds and streams—anywhere the soil is consistently moist. Lobelia loves wet conditions, making it a top choice for bog gardens. Perennial types of lobelia (not to be confused with the low-growing, often blue annual types) attract hummingbirds, so they're great for wildlife gardens. The foliage is a rich green to sometimes dark reddish-purple. The plant produces impressive spikes of flowers in red, pink, blue, and white shades. Zones 2-10

Joe Pye weed

All you have to do with Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is plant it and stand back. This robust perennial needs little coddling and develops masses of mauve flower heads in the late summer and fall. Joe Pye is a plant that likes wet soil and has no insect or disease problems. Joe Pye weed's nectar-rich blooms also are a butterfly favorite. This plant can grow 5-8 feet tall, so if you want something a little shorter than queen of the prairie, look for the dwarf variety 'Little Joe' that only grows 3-4 feet tall.