Thalictrum dioicum

Common Names

Early Meadow Rue, Quicksilver Weed, Pigamon

Summary

Thalictrum dioicum is a North American native herbaceous perennial forming compact clumps about 1–2 feet tall, with delicate gray-green, lacy compound foliage that resembles columbine or maidenhair fern, in spring panicles of tiny greenish-white flowers often with a purple tinge rise above the foliage, the plant is dioecious with male flowers bearing yellow stamens and female flowers bearing purplish pistils, and wind-pollination drives seed set, it naturally occurs in woods, ravines, and moist forests across central and eastern North America and is hardy in USDA zones 3–8, in cultivation provide moist, rich loamy soil with good drainage and partial to full shade, spacing about 12 inches apart suits its clump-forming habit, it is deer resistant and attracts butterflies and other pollinators, making it suitable for woodland borders, shade gardens, and naturalized areas as an understated textural background for later-blooming perennials

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-24 inches

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-7

Sunlight Requirements

Partial Shade to Full Sun (at least 3 hours of direct sunlight)

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained loamy soil enriched with organic matter; pH slightly acidic to neutral.

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Greenish-white

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Gray-green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast, Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, and Fall

Propagation Methods

Division, Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators