Thalictrum thalictroides
rue anemone
Overview
Thalictrum thalictroides is a slender spring-flowering perennial growing 4-9 inches (10-23 cm) tall from a cluster of small tuberous roots. Compound basal leaves are divided into rounded, three-lobed leaflets 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) wide on thin wiry stalks, resembling the foliage of meadow rue. Flowers appear in loose clusters above a whorl of leaf-like bracts, each bloom 0.5-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) across with 5-10 petal-like white to pale pink sepals and no true petals. Bloom runs from March to May while the woodland canopy is still open. The fruit is a cluster of small ribbed achenes. Plants go dormant by early to midsummer, dying back to the tubers until the following spring. Spread is slow, by short rhizomes and seed, forming small clumps over time. Growth depends on cool, moist, shaded woodland conditions, and the foliage browns and disappears early where soils dry or heat builds. Flower color varies from white to soft pink between individual plants.
Native Range
Native to eastern North America from southern Ontario and New Hampshire south to Florida and west to Kansas and Oklahoma. Grows in dry to moist deciduous woodlands, on shaded slopes and woodland edges in humus-rich soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in woodland and shade gardens, rock gardens, and native plant collections, spaced 6-9 inches (15-23 cm) apart. Combines with other spring ephemerals and small ferns under deciduous trees. Its summer dormancy leaves gaps, so it pairs with later-emerging shade perennials.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 9"
Width/Spread6" - 9"
Bloom Information
Flowers from March through May, beginning as early as late February in the southern range and extending into May farther north. Individual plants bloom over 3-6 weeks, producing a succession of flowers from the central cluster. Cool spring weather lengthens the bloom while early heat shortens it.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white to pale pinkFoliage Description
blue-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight