Giant Meadow-Rue

Light Needs

Partial Shade to Full Sun

(At Least 3 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

4-6 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

4 to 8

Giant Meadow Rue is excellent for adding a touch of the wild to your cottage garden or naturalized area. This Japanese native quickly settles into the background and produces delicate froths of flowers atop graceful flower stems for almost the whole summer. Pollinators such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees will flock to Thalictrum rochebrunianum, making this perennial valuable to include near a kitchen garden to boost the production of fruits and vegetables. 

Giant Meadow Rue is excellent planted in large groups, but is also captivating as a single specimen. Place Meadow Rue in the center of a mixed seasonal planting to add height and delicate movement in the breeze. Additional staking may be required to support the masses of flower heads. However, planting shorter perennials around the base of the plants may provide the needed support without detracting from the natural beauty of the plant. Deer do not often browse on Thalictrum, preferring more juicy-leafed plants. Slugs may be a problem, especially for new tender growth in the spring.

Giant Meadow Rue Care

Meadow Rue will need well-draining soil that is also rich and moist. Although Giant Meadow Rue is hardy in USDA zones 4-8, it does not like heat and humidity and prefers a shadier spot in areas with hot summers. Mulch the root zone well with arborist wood chips or 2-3 inches of organic compost to help cool the soil and retain moisture. Grow Meadow Rue in slightly damper areas, like near bogs or on the edges of a rain garden, to provide moist conditions during the summer months. Ensure that the soil does not stay waterlogged during the winter when the chance for root rot is higher.

Herbaceous perennials need little pruning during the growing season. Regular deadheading will encourage more blooms later in the summer. Seasonal clean-up of the spent top growth in spring, not fall, is recommended. Leaving the seedheads and foliage over the winter provides food and shelter for local wildlife.

Giant Meadow Rue Spacing

Giant Meadow Rue, as its name implies, is the largest variety of Thalictrum. The mature height is 4-6 feet in bloom with a spread of 2-3 feet. Space each plant 2 feet apart on the center when planting in multiples.