Rue Anemone

Plant Info

Also known as:	Meadowrue
Scientific name:	Thalictrum thalictroides
Family:	Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	part shade to shade; woods
Bloom season:	spring
Plant height:	4 to 8 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Battle Creek Regional Park Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

Flowers are in groups of 2 to 6 in a whorl at the end of the main stem. Individual flowers are ½ to 1 inch across with 5 to 8 petal-like sepals, a green center, and numerous yellow-tipped stamen. The “petals” are rounded or notched at the tip. Flower color is usually white, sometimes pink.

Leaves:

There is a whorl of 5 to 8 leaves growing just below the flowers, as well as basal leaves in 3 groups of 3. Individual leaves have 3 shallow rounded lobes or notched tips, are about 1 inch long and on a stem up to 5 inches long.

Fruit:

Seed pods are oval, about ¼ inch long and are ribbed.

Notes:

The flowers of Rue Anemone, Wood Anemone and Canada Anemone are all similar and they may all be in bloom around the same time, but the leaves are distinctly different enough to avoid confusing them. Canada Anemone is also a much taller plant and blooms into the summer.

More photos

• a group of Rue Anemone
• pink Rue Anemone flowers

More white wildflowers. Photos taken at Wild River State Park, Center City, MN May-June 2007

Comments

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

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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