Yellow meadow rue (Thalictrum flavum subsp. glaucum)

Features and Characteristics

Thalictrum flavum, commonly called yellow meadow rue, is a rhizomatous, clump-forming perennial of the buttercup family that typically grows on sturdy stems to 2-3’ (less frequently to 5’) tall. It is native to moist grassy habitats, marshes, ditches, river/stream margins and broad-leaved forests in Europe, the Caucasus and Russia. Compound 2-3 pinnate green leaves feature obovate to elliptic 3-4 lobed leaflets (each to 1 ½” wide). Tiny mildly-fragrant apetulous fluffy yellow flowers (each to 3/8” wide) bloom in summer in branched pyramidal panicles (sparsely leaved compound corymbs) to 2-4” wide. Each flower features pale yellow sepals (usually drop early) plus a showy and conspicuous tuft of abundant bright yellow stamens.

Subspecies glaucum from Latin meaning blue-green to gray-green is noted for having attractive silvery blue-green leaves and stems that contrast well with the July-August bloom of fluffy yellow flowers. It is native to Spain and northern Africa.

Genus name comes from the Greek word thaliktron which was a name used by Dioscorides to describe a plant in this genus.

Specific epithet from Latin means yellow in obvious reference to flower color.