Thalictrum delavayi - Meadow-rue
Thalictrum delavayi - Meadow-rue
Thalictrum delavayi - Meadow-rue
Thalictrum delavayi
Chinese Meadow Rue
I bought the Meadow Rue on sale at -50%. They arrived looking a bit sad, with more yellow leaves than green. I put them in the soil and poof! they took off like champions. Magnificent!
Janet, 11/06/2026
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Description
Thalictrum delavayi is an exquisite herbaceous perennial plant with spectacular dimensions and a graceful, light, and elegant silhouette, reminiscent of Gypsophila. With an airy habit, its tall, upright, and branching stems bear delicate green foliage with bluish reflections. In summer, it produces drooping clusters of small mauve flowers with visible butter-yellow stamens.
Thalictrum delavayi, also known as Thalictrum dipterocarpum, is a perennial plant native to the Himalayan region of Asia, from eastern Tibet to western China. It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. It is found in the wild at high altitudes, in forests, scrublands, and grassy slopes. This meadow rue is an herbaceous perennial with an upright and erect habit, forming a bushy clump, from which flexible stems rise, shaded with dark purple, reaching a height of 1.5 to 2m (5 to 7ft), with a width of 60cm (24in). Its slightly bluish and glaucous green deciduous foliage is finely cut and very light, reminiscent of certain Capillaries. It is composed of pinnate or ternate leaves measuring 15 to 35cm (6 to 14in) long, with entire or trilobed leaflets. From June to August, large loose panicles appear. They are well-branched, terminal and axillary, formed by small star-shaped flowers with four lilac sepals, enhanced by prominent creamy-yellow stamens. They do not like competition from nearby roots so respect a planting distance of 40cm (16in) around its base. Meadow rue is quite slow to establish, but will become increasingly beautiful over time. This species received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993.
This meadow rue is the ideal plant to brighten and flower the moist and shaded areas of the garden. With its size, delicate and elegant bluish-green foliage, its airy appearance, and the pretty pastel colours of its inflorescences, it will be perfect to add height and lightness to borders. It will have a beautiful effect in contrast with less delicate perennials, as well as along the edge of shrub borders. It will naturally find its place alongside hostas, hydrangeas, shrub or climbing roses, fuchsias, Japanese anemones, aconites, astilbes, campanulas, alder buckthorn, snowberries, ferns, hellebores, foxgloves, grasses, perennial geraniums, elderberry, and Sacred Bamboo.
The origin of the word Thalictrum is derived from the Greek "thallein", meaning to become green, and "ictar", meaning quickly, in reference to its rapid growth.
Its specific name delavayi was given in honour of Father Jean Marie Delavay (1834-1895), a Christian missionary, who collected one of the largest botanical collections in the Yunnan province of China on behalf of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.
Thalictrum delavayi - Meadow-rue in pictures
Flowering
Foliage
Plant habit
Botanical data
Thalictrum
delavayi
Ranunculaceae
Chinese Meadow Rue
China
Planting and care
Despite its delicate and fragile appearance, Thalictrum delavayi is very hardy and low-maintenance. It simply requires to be planted in partial shade or even full shade, in moist and well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with minimal limestone content. It can also be established in full sun as long as the soil remains moist and there is ambient humidity around the plant. Plant in spring or autumn. Ideally, plant it at the base of a north or east-facing wall. It is advisable to add compost to the soil every year to improve drainage in winter and facilitate root development. Regular watering is also necessary during dry and hot periods.
Regularly deadhead the flowers to prolong the flowering period. The plant loses its leaves in autumn and completely disappears in winter, only reappearing quite late in spring. Therefore, do not cut the plant back in autumn so you can find it again in spring! As it can grow quite large, staking may be necessary, especially if it is used as a standalone plant or in a windy location. To avoid this inconvenience, it is advisable to plant it among other plants and bushes that it can lean on for support.
Divide the clumps in March-April by cutting the clump into several pieces with a spade. However, the divisions take a long time to establish.
Although highly resistant to diseases, it may be susceptible to powdery mildew during dry spells, and slug attacks at the start of the growing season.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.
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