King of the Meadow

Growing anywhere from 2 to 10 feet tall, it’s no wonder that another common name for tall meadow rue (Thalictrum pubescens) is King of the Meadow! This member of the buttercup family has lacy, three-lobed foliage that looks similar to that of columbine. Clusters of male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, and the petal-less flowers sport long stamens or pistils instead, which give a fluffy appearance.

Tall meadow rue is often visited by bees and butterflies in search of nectar, and a number of moth caterpillars rely upon meadow rue species as a host plant. These include the  Canadian owlet (Calyptra canadensis), meadow-rue borer (Papaipema unimoda), straight lined looper (Pseudeva purpurigera) and white striped black (Trichodezia albovitatta).

This statuesque plant makes a great backdrop for beds or borders in dappled sunlight–at the SBG, you’ll spot it blooming now at the edge of our Woodland Garden.

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