Thalictrum ichangense ‘Evening Star’
Common name: Meadow rue
It is easy to walk by Meadow Rue ‘Evening Star’ (Thalictrum ichangense ‘Evening Star’). It is so tiny you can hardly see it. Just 25 cm/10 in tall and wide. And it can disappear into the shadows of dappled shade.
But every part of this herbaceous perennial is exquisite. New foliage emerges bronze and transitions to olive-green. Then, as it matures, the leaves become a rich blue-green with silver veins. Sprays of delicate stems with tufts of lavender flowers arrive in late spring. These flowers float over the leaves right through summer.
‘Evening Star’ is easy to grow. It flourishes in full or partial shade with well-drained soil. It just isn’t easy to see. Planting it in a container would be ideal. The seed strain ‘Evening Star’ was named by Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon.
Thalictrum ichangense grows on moist forest ledges up to 2,000 m/6,000 ft in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan and Hubei. The pictures of Thalictrum ichangense ‘Evening Star’ were taken in the Korean Garden in bed 85 June 2021. It was planted there in 2020.
More information on the genus Thalictrum.
Photos and text by Hughie Jones