Tall Western Meadowrue

Thalictrum polycarpum

Pendulant male flowers with tassel-like yellow stamen and green sepals, like dangly earrings

Female flowers of meadowrue with no petals and long magenta pistils.

a patch of meadowrue growing at the nursery with compound leaves that resemble columbine.

Plant Description

Tall Western meadowrue is a perennial herb native to moist meadows, riparian areas, and forest edges of the Pacific Northwest. It grows 2–5 feet tall, with delicate, compound leaves resembling those of columbine and airy clusters of small, petal-less flowers that bloom in late spring to summer. The male plants have flowers composed of numerous dangling stamens, giving them a unique, swaying, feathery appearance. Female flowers have more upright magenta pistils. Ecologically, tall Western meadowrue supports native pollinators while adding texture and structural diversity to riparian and meadow plant communities. Its tolerance for moist soils makes it well-suited to wetland restoration and native plantings.

Plant Details

Life Forms	Forb
Habitats	Bottomland forests Conifer forests Forest edges Forest openings Forest understories Forests Gardens Little Habitats Marshes Meadows Mixed hardwood-conifer forests Oak woodlands Parklands Residential yards Riparian areas Riparian forests Seeps Streams Trailsides Wet prairies Wetlands Woodlands
Soil and Moisture Conditions	Moist Seasonally flooded soil
Special Uses	Attracts pollinators and or other beneficial insects Blooms April Blooms June Blooms May Deciduous Deer resistant Drought tolerant Flowering Flowers pink Flowers white Good for shady woodland garden Herbaceous Ornamental Perennial Produces pollen
Shade Preference	Full shade Part shade
Mature Height	2-6'