Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides (L.), Anemonella thalictroides, Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Rue Anemone	Thalictrum thalictroides (L.) Eames & B. Boivin [Old=Anemonella thalictroides]	Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)	Woodland and Upland	Spring
Other names and notes	A very delicate looking flower, white or pinkish, stalked, solitary or in a small umbel above several opposite or whorled leaves that have three blunt to shallow toothed lobes. Basal leaves are stalked, 2 to 3 times parted, each leaflet distinct, rounded, with teeth toward the tip. These leaves rise directly from a cluster of three or four elongated tubers that, according to Eloise Butler, look like miniature sweet potatoes. The nature of the flower cluster distinguishes this plant from the "False Rue Anemone". Flowers average about 3/4" wide and can have 5 to 10 petal-like sepals, no petals.


Above left and below: The flower (or flowers) above the whorl of stem leaves. Above right: The basal leaves

Notes: This plant is indigenous to the Garden area. It was listed on Martha Crone's 1951 inventory of plants in the Garden at that time. It is native to the dry open woods of the SE counties of Minnesota, extending up through the metro countries. It is native to most of the U.S. from the longitude of Minnesota eastward, but in Canada, only in Ontario.

Eloise Butler wrote: "The Rue Anemone of oak woods has a cluster of bright pink flowers on stalks set like the sticks of an umbrella above a whorl of leaves. Another leaf, similar to that of the false rue anemone, arises directly from a cluster of three or four fleshy roots like miniature sweet potatoes." Published May 21, 1911 Minneapolis Sunday Tribune (read full article)

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References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

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