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Tall Meadow-rue

Thalictrum pubescens

Found in bogs, marshes, wet forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

51
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
3–8 feet
Light
Part shade
Soil moisture
Moist to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to July

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 88 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Thalictrum

  • Calyptra canadensisCanadian Owlet, Meadow Rue Owlet
  • Eosphoropteryx thyatyroidesPink-Patched Looper Moth
  • Eugonobapta nivosariaSnowy Geometer
  • Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
  • Eupithecia satyrataSatyr Pug
  • Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
  • Lithophane unimodaDowdy Pinion
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Show all 17
  • Papaipema unimodaMeadow Rue Borer, Chain Fern Border Moth
  • Papilio cresphontesEastern Giant Swallowtail
  • Pseudeva purpurigeraStraight-Lined Looper Moth
  • Trichodezia albovittataWhite-Striped Black
  • Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Thalictrum

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Thalictrum

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
White

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

King of the Meadow; Tall Meadow Rue; Thalictrum polygamum

Conservation status

Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources