How to Grow Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)

Meadow rues are beautiful plants with lavender or pink clusters of tiny flowers and ferny foliage. They grow 3 to 4 feet tall and prefer part shade, especially in warmer climates. The flowers appear in spring.

Things You'll Need

• Bypass Pruners
• Fertilizers
• Garden Trowels
• Hand Cultivators
• Plants
• Seeds

Instructions

Choosing Meadow Rue

1. Buy meadow rue in spring through summer in nurseries.

2. Look for plants in 4-inch up to one-gallon containers.

3. Choose plants that show new leaves and flowers emerging from the base of the plant.

Planting Meadow Rue

1. Plant in part shade in well-drained soil.

2. Loosen up pot-bound roots by dragging a hand cultivator - a tool that looks like a claw - down the sides of the root mass.

3. Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole.

4. Place plants 1 to 2 feet apart.

5. Mulch around but not on top of the plant with a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost.

Caring for Meadow Rue

1. Water weekly throughout the first spring and summer.

2. Water weekly during dry summers.

3. Cut back all of last year's growth in late winter, using bypass pruners.

4. Cut back flower stems in summer when they are finished blooming to neaten up the plant.

5. Mulch each spring with a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost around but not on top of the plant.