European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

This species is classed as Least Concern as it is widespread with stable populations in parts of its range and therefore the risk of the species going completely extinct in Europe is quite low. However, it is concerning that the species is classed as threatened on various national red lists and research into the causes of those declines as well as adequate measures to prevent this are needed.

Filipendula vulgaris is native to northern Africa (Morocco), western temperate Asia and Siberia and Europe. It has become naturalised in Macaronesia (Portugal and Azores) and is adventive in the Russian Far East and western North America. It is also cultivated widely in the northern temperate hemisphere (USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program 2012). It occurs from sea level up to 2,000 m elevation (Castroviejo et al. 1998).

This species has declined in southeast England due to loss of chalk habitat and is described as rare and uncommon in the UK. However, it easily escapes and becomes naturalised in a variety of habitats (Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora 2012).

Dropwort is a perennial herb generally found in calcareous grasslands, chalk and limestone downs, rough pastures and meadows but also in waterlogged soils, along borders of streams, oak and pine groves and plantations and gardens. It also occurs on coastal inland heaths on limestone and chalk (Castroviejo et al. 1998, Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora 2012). This species may be more drought tolerant than other species in the Rosaceae family (Stace et al. 2012). In Denmark it is characteristic of non-acidic grasslands which are highly fragmented and occurring in marginal areas not suitable for agriculture or development. Populations here are isolated but this does not reduce genetic variability as it is insect pollinated and wind pollinated to a lesser extent (Weidema et al. 2000).

Declines have been reported from southeast England due to the conversion of grasslands into arable land, loss of chalk habitats and due to lack of grazing (Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora 2012). There appear to be no threats from collection as it has limited uses in medicine.

The roots of Rosaceae plants are generally rich in tannins and and antioxidants (Oszmianski et al 2007). The leaf essential oil of this species consists mostly of salicylaldehyde which has high antimicrobial activity to bacteria and fungi and works more effectively in combination with linalool than on its own (Radulovic 2007).
This plant can be used for the treatment of epilepsy, kidney and bladder stones, genital discharges and intestinal worms (Plants for a Future 2012).

The species occurs on the following national red lists:

• Critically Endangered in Luxembourg (Colling 2005) and the Netherlands (Meijden 2000)
• Vulnerable in Switzerland (Moser et al. 2002)
• Near Threatened in Germany (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996) and Norway (Artsdatabanken 2010)
• Least Concern in Denmark (NERI 2007), Estonia (eBiodiversity 2012) and the United Kingdom (Cheffings and Farrell 2005).

Filipendula vulgaris exists in ex situ collections (RBG Kew 2012).