Meadowsweet

Spiraea latifolia

Meadowsweet grows in the wet, sunny meadows and stream banks of the northeastern US, producing upright plumes of small white-to-pale-pink flowers from June through July that are alive with native pollinators on warm days. It's not showy in a way that reads from thirty feet away, but stand close and watch the activity on those flower plumes for five minutes and you'll see a dozen species working them. The reddish stems add color in winter. It spreads modestly by suckering to form dense colonies along wet ground, which makes it excellent for wet meadow restorations and rain garden edges. The foliage is fine-textured and clean. This is a plant for natural, informal landscapes. a meadow style, not a clipped border.