Thalictrum fendleri

Common Names

Fendler's Meadow-Rue, Meadow Rue, Tanito

Summary

Fendler's meadow-rue is a perennial herb in the Ranunculaceae family with rhizomes or a branched caudex, producing erect, hairless stems about 60–150 cm tall. Leaves along the stem are cauline and 3–4× pinnately compound with obliquely orbiculate or cordate leaflets; inflorescences are terminal and axillary panicles bearing many greenish to whitish flowers; male flowers have long filaments and yellow to purplish anthers, while pistillate flowers have smaller greenish sepals and develop clusters of 7–11 achenes; flowering occurs Jun–Aug and the plant commonly grows as an understory in western forests at elevations 1100–3300 m, often with purplish stems; native range spans AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, SD, TX, UT, WY and northern Mexico; flowers may turn dark red with age.

In cultivation it prefers shade to partial shade in mesic, moist, well-drained soils and can be propagated by seed; it is hardy to USDA zones 3–8 and commonly occurs as an understory species in ponderosa pine or mixed forests; it can be used in naturalistic shade plantings and restoration, and has ethnobotanical uses among Native Americans for colds and gonorrhea, with some reports of toxicity.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-6 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil

Bloom Color

Green to yellow

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division (via rhizomes)

Attracts Wildlife

Wind-pollinated (anemophilous); no wildlife is attracted