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Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)

© Jojo Sigurgeirson

At this time of year, I don't have much time for gardening, but everyday after work I walk around the garden too see if anything is dry or needs staking. If the weather's good, and there's something to plant, and I feel like it, I plant it.

It's also nice to keep an eye on what is coming up. This year, my three-year old Thalictrums are obviously coming into their own. Great bushels of stems (a slight exaggeration, although I'm not sure what exactly comprises a bushel anyway) are pushing out of the ground in neat clumps.

While the leaves of Meadow Rue are not normally mentioned, they are indeed beautiful, especially at this time of year. The leaves of each species are quite different in texture. T. uchiyamai, the Japanese meadow rue has purplish leaves that are quite large. T. finetii, fine meadow rue, has very fine leaves in loose leaflets, also quite purplish. Finetti is not as fine and ferny as T. minus, which looks more like greyish parsley. T. delavyi has leaves much like a maidenhair fern. In short, the elegance of Meadow Rue leaves combine very nicely with all kinds of spring-flowering perennials, especially the short ones, who will allow the Rue plenty of room to grow.

Room to grow is important. If you start with a purchased plant it will probably appear quite small. They should not be shoehorned in unless they are growing with plants that will not get in the way of their growing room, or texturally impede on their full form.

After many of the early-flowering perennials have finished blooming the Thalictrums just begin. The fluffies are first, including T. aquilegifolium, T. delavyi. T. flava and T. minus. I call them fluffies because their anthers are so long that they give an overall fluffy appearance. The larger, more bell-flowered Thalictrums are later, and bloom for me in July when the honeysuckle is blooming heavily and raspberries are starting to ripen. They include T. finettii and T. uchiyamai.

How to Grow Meadow Rue
All plants are derived from particular habitatis, and knowing a little about each plant's origin can give you clues as to what it would like. It can also tell you about it's desired neighbours. Meadow Rues are a good example of this. Most come from marshes and moist grasslands, usually in conjuntion with grasses. The soil under these areas is cool and moist, with a slight tendancy towards the dry side in summer.

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