Filipendula rubra Queen of the Prairie

Ohio Native Plant Natural Range

Visit the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service website for the natural range of Filipendula rubra Listed as Endangered: New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina. Threatend in : Michigan and Iowa
One tall pink Queen of the Prairie flower with a garden and wishing well in background.
Filipendula rubra the focal point by Roger Dahlin
Pink Filipendula rubra, Queen of the Prairie flowers lok like cotton candy.
Which is this Cotton Candy or Queen of the Prairie flowers

Cultivation Information - Queen of the Prairie

Height - 3 to 4 feet Flower Color - Pink Sun - Full to part sunHardy Zone - 3 to 7Blooms - June - July
Soil - moist/fertile - Suitable for rain gardens
pH -5.0 to 6.0Hardy Zone - 4 to 7
Family - Rosaceae Over the Years - Queen of the Prairie deserves such a regal name; their pink plumes are truly the envy of the prairie. I discovered this the hard way, that this royal gem requires moisture to look her best. As an experiment, a mature plant was planted in one of our gardens that is dry and receives almost a full day’s worth of sun. Since she was struggling, I transplanted her into a more suitable location.

A filipendula rubra plant, which is two year old just beginning to form a small round blossoms
Filipendula rubra - early spring buds
Looks like a brown skeleton of a Queen-of- the Prairie Flower, which are normally pink
Seed ready to harvest!
A pile of dried Filipendula rubra seed next to a quarter for reference
Seed is dried in a paper bag, stored in an air tight, well labeled container.
Thick grouping of pink Queen of the Prairie flowers in front of a telephone pole.
Queen of the Prairie was planted a tad to close to the end of our driveway. One must use extreme caution when backing out!
Wildlife Significance Queen of the Prairie
Pollen Source - Bees ( long and Short tongued bees collect pollen, flies, beetles feed on pollen (great source of protein
Nectar - Not a source of nectar
Deer - Aren't crazy about Queen of the Prairie
For detailed information, visit the Illinois Wildflower website.
Maybe this Gray Tree Frog is the Queen's Prince?
A green frog, called a Gray Tree frog perfectly camouflaged on a raspberry leaf.
Gray Tree Frog
A few years back we discovered this Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) perfectly camouflaged on our raspberry plants, which were in close proximity to the Queen of the Prairie. Like this frog, Queen of the Praire thrives in a moist environment either in the form of a rain garden or or a marshy location. I am guessing both would settle for a vernal pool!
Propagation Notes Queen of the Prairie
Stratifying Seeds
Seeds placed in Cold Moist Storage 1. Zip lock plastic bag2. Few table spoons of Vermiculite3. Dampen vermiculite - not soggy4. Store in refrigerator for 90 days Outdoors - We have had good luck allowing Queen of the Prairie to self seed, transplanting seedlings in early spring. A small cold frame is used to keep mammals away from the seed in the winter and protection from heavy rain in the spring. Collecting seed - It is important to keep an eye on maturing seed, wait until the seed has changed from green to brown before collecting. Taking a bit over a period of a few weeks seems to help viability
Seed Provenance Filipendula rubra
Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN - 2010 - Nodding Onion Gardens - 2011 to present