Waxy Meadow Rue Thalictrum amphibolum

Waxy Meadow Rue is a perennial wildflower in the Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) family that grows 3 - 7' tall in the eastern US and Canada.  It has a thick central stem that is green or slightly reddish purple with short hairs.  The stem branches occasionally.  It can be found in streambanks, edges of pond or forests, thickets, meadows, prairies, and roadsides. 

Each leaflet is about ¾–2" long and half as much across. It is rounded at the base, and either without lobes or with 2-3 lobes toward the outer edge, containing a large middle lobe and 2 smaller side lobes. The lobes are bluntly pointed. The underside of the leaflet has glandular hairs which gives it a waxy appearance that will glisten when they are exposed to sunlight. The margin of each leaflet turns downward slightly. When crushed, leaves produce a foul smell, skunk-like.

It is a dioecious plant, meaning there are plants that contain male flowers, and separate plants with female flowers. It blooms in late spring to early summer.  As with other Meadow Rues, they can be quite showy when they bloom.  The male flower is 1/3" long, has 4-5 light green sepals that spread outward, white stamens with yellow, brown or purplish anthers. The male flowers usually droop downward from slender pedicels.  The female flowers are shaped like small green burs and have numerous short pistils. They are less attractive than the male flowers. No petals. The blooming period is from late spring to early summer, and lasts about 3 weeks. There is no floral scent. While it attracts bees and other pollinators, pollination is by wind. The female flowers are replaced by small achenes that are ribbed and pointed at both ends, becoming brittle with age and often shed.

Plant it in moist to slightly dry conditions, and partial to full sun. This plant usually grows in fairly typical garden soil, such as a rich loam or clay loam. The height of a plant can vary considerably on fertility of the soil, moisture conditions, and maturity. Very rapid growth in the spring and only blooms for about 3 weeks. This species of Meadow Rue appears to tolerate full sun and drought conditions better than most.  However, it will still die back in the heat of the summer but will grow new basal leaves in the fall.

You won't find many places to purchase this plant, possibly because of the foul smelling leaves when places do sell the Purple Meadow-rue as it is so similar and has no smell.  However, it is easily grown from seed.  Also, it is rhizomatous, where you can divide the plant when it is dormant in the spring.

Quick ID:

• Each leaflet has glandular hairs on the underside which gives it a waxy appearance that will glisten when they are exposed to sunlight.
• The margin of each leaflet turns downward slightly.
• The leaves have a foul smell when crushed (skunk-like).