Minnesota Wildflowers


or try: advanced plant search
Share |

Thalictrum dasycarpum (Tall Meadow Rue)

Plant Info
Also known as: Purple Meadow Rue
Genus:Thalictrum
Family:Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; moist soil, edges of woods, thickets, meadows, along shores
Bloom season:June - July
Plant height:2 to 8 feet
USDA PLANTS database:Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:

Pick an image for a larger view. Most image enlargements are 50-100KB, though some may be larger. See the glossary for icon descriptions.

Detailed Information

Flower: indistinct panicle

[photo of female flowers] Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants. Flowers of both sexes are petal-less and about 1/3 inch across, with 4 to 6 greenish-white sepals that may drop off early. The female flowers have what looks like about 10 thread-like white petals. These are pistils, rather than petals.

[photo of male flowers] Male flowers have about 12 dangling white to greenish stamens with pale yellow tips that turn brown with maturity. For both sexes, flowers are in large open clusters on the upper branches of the plant.

Leaves and stem: alternate compound

[photo of leaves] Leaves are twice compound in groups of 3. Leaflets are about 1 inch long and are asymetrical at the rounded base. Most are lobed in 3 parts, with a point at the tip of each lobe. Leaf color is blue-green and leaves are hairy on the underside. The main stem is purple to varying degrees.

Fruit:

[photo of seed] Seed capusules are about ¼ inch long, green and generally egg-shaped with distinct vertical veins and a brown stub of a pistil at the top.

Where to buy native seed and plants

Help support this site by buying seeds & plants from these vendors. Tell them we sent you!

  • Prairie Restorations - Bringing people together with the land
  • Shop for native seeds and plants at PrairieMoon.com!
  • Out Back Nursery and Landscaping - Where Ecology and Horticulture Unite
  • Shooting Star Native Seeds - Native Prairie Grass and Wildflower Seeds

Map of native plant purveyors in the upper midwest

More photos

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN June-July 2007

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Post a comment

Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out. An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission.

For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc.), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources.



(required)




Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota may not be posted because I’d like to keep the focus of this web site on Minnesota. Thanks for your understanding.