Plant Trial Results: Meadow Rues

Eight years of testing reveal which ones deserve a spot in your garden—and which ones don’t

One of my longtimefavorite garden plants is lavender mist meadow rue . I love its dainty flower and long - blooming nature , not to cite the fact that its handsome foliage remains attractive throughout the grow season . But lilac-colored mist ’s sound dimension might be its elegant bm in the garden , due to its ferny leave of absence and nod flowers that float and flutter like butterfly above the plant . And despite their delicate appearance , most meadow ruefulness ( Thalictrumspp . and cvs . , USDA Hardiness Zones 3–9 ) are fairly rugged plants .

In the 1990s , I got the chance to evaluate a number of wild hayfield rues at the Chicago Botanic Garden , and I con something important : While their leaf is almost always attractive , some have flush that are not the least bit ornamental . This first venture into the worldly concern of meadow regret kindled my curiosity about the other types out there , so I initiate a fresh trial . My staff and I in the end evaluated every hayfield rue on the market that we could get our hand on . Here are the single that get up to the top .

What to expect from meadow rues

They’re part of a diverse family

hayfield rues are a penis of the buttercup kinsfolk . I ’m fascinated by the floral diversity within this group , from the simmpleness of a anemone efflorescence ( Anemone blandaand cvs . , Zones 4–8 ) to the specialness of a helmet flower flower ( Aconitumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) . Rather than true petal , like a pink wine has , buttercups usually feature petal - similar sepals and blazing clusters of stamen , giving them a unique look . And meadow rues are no exclusion . They have sepals of vary sizes and colors , but sometimes the sepal are absent or fall off as the flower opens , pull up stakes only the stamens behind to provide the floral display .

Sun or shade is usually OK

I thought I needed a systematically moist situation in partial shade to successfully originate hayfield regret , but what I had was a full - sun garden where water was provided in a spread - or - famine personal manner . I resolve to plant them anyway to see how adaptable they were to full sun . They all thrived except for columbine meadow rue , which would have been happier with some shade and more uniform wet . Although most hayfield rues are adaptable to full Sunday , in hot or dry climate , partial shade would be skillful .

These plants are virtually trouble-free

Meadow rues are fairly blue maintenance , although powdery mildew and leaf miners are occasional problems if the plants become accent due to inconsistent conditions . They are generally easy - to - grow plants in Zones 4 to 8 and , in some cases , Zone 3 . Meadow rues can be cut back in fall or springiness . Deadheading is n’t essential , but I like to keep cut back spent flower sprays because it encourages more efflorescence and results in a poor and sturdier plant by the ending of the uprise season . Continual deadheading also reduces the chance of seedling , which might be a confirming or a electronegative , count on your standpoint .

Grow them for the foliage…

Many of these plants have leafage that is evocative of columbine ( Aquilegiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) . The large chemical compound leaves are composed of many leaflets , break them a lacy , ferny effect . The leaflets may be round , oval , or analog and blue - light-green , gray - green , or just evidently green . Their o.k. grain contrasts nicely with bolder - leaved perennials , such as rodgersia ( Rodgersiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) and yellow wax - campana ( Kirengeshoma palmata , Zones 5–8 ) . It ’s a bonus that the give foliage of meadow rue commonly emerges with a purple - to - bronze cast .

…or the flowers

While I am drawn to the somewhat lavender and primrose yellow flowers of lavender mist and Yunnan meadow herb of grace , the pompomlike clusters of stamen - only ( sepal - less ) flowers are equally charming . From the frothy yellow-bellied trusses of shinny hayfield sorrow to the exuberant starbursts of columbine meadow rue , far more plants display stamen - only flowers . There ’s a unique tone to all the blossoms , making it exciting to have several species flower in the garden from give to fall .

Key

★ ★ ★ ★ Excellent

★ ★ ★ Good

★ ★ Fair

★ Poor

How the trials are done

For 28 years , the Plant Evaluation Program at the Chicago Botanic Garden ( CBG ) has been trialing plant and rat them on ornamental qualities , ethnic adaptability , winter hardiness , and disease and pest resistance . The goal is to find out , through scientific evaluation , which plants are ranking . Perennials , like meadow rues , are pass judgment for a lower limit of four old age in CBG ’s Zone 5b gardens . They are grown in full Lord’s Day and in a well - debilitate , alkaline , Lucius DuBignon Clay - loam land . Plants do n’t get coddled in the test : They get minimal charge , thereby provide them to thrive or betray under rude conditions . They are provided water as call for and mulched with composted leaves for H2O conservation and to suppress weeds . They are not staked , fertilize , wintertime - mulch , or treat for insects or diseases .

Cultivar confusion

You might notice that source number lavender mist meadow rue in different ways . Some record book and on-line sites lean this industrial plant as the cultivar ‘ Lavender Mist ’ , while others list it as ‘ Purple Mist ’ . In our test , I saw dead no difference between the coinage and either of these cultivar , chair me to believe they are the same plant . I ’m venture that , sometime in the yesteryear , someone put the mutual name in single quotes and a cultivar was born .

Top Performers

1)I would n’t be without gracefullavender mist meadow ruein my garden because it bloom for months and stay attractive even when it ’s not in bloom . It reseeds generously but is easygoing to remove where it is n’t wanted . I do n’t mind wherever it come up — from the back of the boundary line to the front — because its airy habit is see - through and does n’t overpower neighboring plants . Most years , the stem top out at 6 feet , but in 2010 , advance by springtime moisture , they ascend to a colossal 8 feet .

2)Yellow meadow ruepairs soft scandalmongering flowers with dusty blue foliage for a brainy effect . The handsome leave are attractive all season but are particularly striking when topped with powder puffs of peak in late spring and other summer . The folio color is better in full sunlight than in partial nuance .

3)I consider‘Elin ’ meadow ruea pumped - up version of lavender mist meadow rue . At 8 feet marvelous , supersize ‘ Elin ’ stands head and shoulders above lilac-colored mist , but they are similar in flower , leaf , and hardiness .

4)The first thing that impressed me aboutshining hayfield ruewas how different its burnished green leave-taking were from any other meadow rue I ’d develop . The linear leaflets give the foliage a fernlike feel . While the openhanded leafage deport the early- and late - season show , the large plumage of soft yellow blossom provide a stunning midsummer show .

5)I find the diminutiveness ofKyushu meadow ruecharming , especially when juxtapose with the gargantuan wont of its cousins . At only 2 inches marvellous , it can easy get lost in a in use border . Even on its tippy toes , its flush pass on just 5 column inch tall . But the cover of fuzzy pinkish early - summer flowers is worth the trouble of ensuring that its neighbor play courteous and do n’t overcrowd it .

6)I was n’t prepare for the rank size oftall meadow rueand that thrilled me . A swarm of creamy blanched flowers top robust , 10 - foot - improbable shank in midsummer . Even ‘ Elin ’ tips its hat to this monster . Its size means tall meadow rue is not for every garden , but if you have the space , then you should try it . This moisture devotee is native to the eastern United States and Canada and is utter for a funny woodland garden . It also conflate well with vernacular perennial in a formal perimeter .

7 ) ‘ Illuminator ’ yellow meadow rueis unlike other meadow rues because its unseasoned leaves are bruise an acid - white-livered - and - bronze color . The foliage finally change to grim - green as the flower bud tumesce in other summertime ; at that percentage point , ‘ Illuminator ’ resembles the race ( T. flavumssp.glaucum ) .

The jury is still out

Of the newest meadow ruefulness , some I have grow and have proven their Charles Frederick Worth already , while others I have n’t had a fortune to evaluate or are still too novel to get it on for certain where they ’ll solid ground . But here ’s what I ’ve get wind so far :

1)The dismal purple stems of‘Black Stockings ’ hayfield rueare eye - catch , to be certain , but did not quite live on up to the promotional claims of being “ nearly fateful , ” “ ebony , ” or “ fountain lightlessness . ” beguiling description apart , ‘ Black Stockings ’ is a robust works with bountiful stamen - only lavender blossom in late spring .

2)‘Splendide ’ Yunnan meadow rueis now in its awkward juvenile point , but it is showing promise . Graceful lavender flowers float like butterflies above the magniloquent stems from midsummer powerful up to icing . It needs to bulge up some , though , before it get top honors .

3)Early meadow rue , a North American woodland indigene , was the earliest to flower in midspring and is tolerant of mystifying tincture . The manlike and female flowers are on separate plants , but the female flowers are insignificant . The unostentatious manlike flowers ( pendant lily-livered stamens with green sepals ) intrigue me , and the lacy foliation — which resembles maidenhair fern — is delightful .

4)I’m having better success with ‘ Splendide ’ Yunnan meadow rue than I did with‘Hewitt ’s ’ twofold ’ Yunnan meadow rue . I tried ‘ Hewitt ’s ’ bivalent ’ three times but just could n’t get it to turn . But I will stress to originate it again because I feel that there is more to teach about it .

5)My heart hop a rhythm when I saw the catalogue pictorial matter of‘Evening Star ’ meadow rue . Each dark sorry - green booklet is mark with a silver starburst , hold the works a thoroughly exotic aspect . I ’ve nestled it into a slightly protect post in fond wraith , hoping to give it a fighting prospect in wintertime . In an earlier tribulation , the mintage suffered reprise wintertime loss , significantly lowering its performance military rank . ‘ Evening Star ’ is really too new to recommend or give rating results on , but I am stoke to see how it will grow .

6)A fresh meadow rue that is bulge out up everywhere and that I plan to test is‘Perfume Star ’ baneberry meadow rue . It ’s from the same works breeder who brought us ‘ Splendide ’ . ‘ Perfume Star ’ sport fragrant , whitened - tipped lavender stamens and blue - green leaves on stem that reach 42 inches grandiloquent . I ’m looking forward to adding it to the garden in the near future .

Richard Hawke is the flora evaluation managing director at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe , Illinois .

Photos , except where noted : Jerry Pavia

SOURCES

The next mail - Holy Order plant sellers offer many of the meadow regret featured :

Ambergate Gardens , Chaska , Minn. ; 877 - 211 - 9769 ; www.ambergategardens.com

Meadow Rues

Yunnan meadow ruePhoto: Clive Nichols, www.gapphotos.com

Arrowhead Alpines , Fowlerville , Mich. ; 517 - 223 - 3581 ; www.arrowhead-alpines.com

Lazy S ’S Farm Nursery,2360 Spotswood Trail , Barboursville , VA 22923 ; www.lazyssfarm.com

Plant Delights Nursery , Raleigh , N.C. ; 919 - 772 - 4794 ; www.plantdelights.com

meadow rue trial results

Yunnan meadow ruePhoto: Clive Nichols, www.gapphotos.com

Wetlands Nursery , PO Box 14553 , Saginaw , MI 48601 ; 989 - 752 - 3492

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Johnny ’s Selected Seeds Connecta ® Cultivation Kit

Yunnan meadow rue

Yunnan meadow ruePhoto: Clive Nichols, www.gapphotos.com

Fine horticulture receives a commission for token buy through link on this site , include Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .

Gardener ’s Log Book from NYBG

Pruning Simplified : A stair - by - footfall Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Yellow meadow rue

Photo: Richard Hawke

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