# tall meadow-rue (*Thalictrum pubescens*) Tall meadow-rue is a lovely plant with soft, feathery leaves and tall stems. It grows in meadows and adds beauty to nature with its delicate flowers that bloom in summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Meadows ![tall meadow-rue](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/46189643/medium.jpg) Photo: s shepherd, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/46189643) ## Appearance The tall meadow-rue is a stately plant with upright stems, delicate, fern-like leaves, and airy, cloud-like clusters of numerous small, petal-less flowers. These flowers are typically white to pale greenish-white, sometimes with a purplish tint, giving it a soft, wispy appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ranunculales - **Family:** Ranunculaceae - **Genus:** Thalictrum ## Interesting facts - Even though it can grow very tall, its seeds are super light and spread by the wind! - Its tiny flowers don't have petals, but look like fluffy little clouds! - Some older cultures used parts of meadow-rue plants for medicinal purposes! - The plant's leaves look like a fern's, but it's actually related to buttercups! ## Special abilities - **Wind Whisperer:** Tall meadow-rue has tiny, fluffy flowers that release abundant pollen into the wind to find other plants. - **Underground Navigator:** This plant uses special underground stems called rhizomes to spread and create new plants nearby. - **Shade Seeker:** Tall meadow-rue can grow in both sunny meadows and the dappled light of forest edges, making it adaptable. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-250 cm - **Spread:** 50-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse its leaves and stems. - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees collect pollen from its fluffy flowers. - **Depends on:** Meadow-rue Aphid (*Aphis thalictri*) — Aphids feed on the plant's sap. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify tall meadow-rue? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is tall meadow-rue? 100-250 cm ### How wide does tall meadow-rue spread? 50-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on tall meadow-rue? 0.5-1 cm ### When does tall meadow-rue bloom? Summer ### Is tall meadow-rue edible? No ### Is tall meadow-rue toxic? None ### What is tall meadow-rue's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden - [Clinton Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clinton-hill-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [South Newbury Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-newbury-village-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Hamburg Bridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hamburg-bridge-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see tall meadow-rue](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tall-meadow-rue) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Tall Meadow-rue: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tall-meadow-rue)