Thalictrum foetidum

Thalictrum foetidum belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is a perennial, so it lives for more than two years. Its common names include yellow meadow rue and foetid meadow rue. Kew places its native range across the mild parts of Eurasia. Missouri Botanical Garden names central Europe as its native home. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. It grows in grasslands, on slopes, and on damp, rocky ledges.

This plant forms upright clumps with fine, fern-like leaves. In gardens, it grows 1–2.5 feet (0.30–0.76 metres) tall. Clumps spread to about 1.5 feet (0.46 metres) wide. The medium-green leaves are compound, with three- to four-times pinnate leaflets. This means each leaf splits into smaller parts, then splits again. The fine leaf pattern gives the clump a light look. Tiny glands cover the leaves and give off a smell. The leaves can look good through the whole growing season. Missouri Botanical Garden rates them as its best garden trait.

Small, greenish-yellow flowers rise above the leaves in branched panicles. These are loose flower sprays with branches of their own. Missouri Botanical Garden gives late spring as the bloom time. Chicago Botanic Garden lists May through August for bloom. Each flower has little impact on its own. As a group, they form a soft cloud above the clump. The loose sprays add a light touch among other plants. The leaves still play a key role beside the flowers.

Grow this meadow rue in full sun or part shade. It needs soil that drains well but holds some moisture. Average soil suits it where the weather stays mild. In hot summers, it prefers richer soil that stays moist. Light shade or shade in the afternoon helps then. Plants in full sun need a steady supply of moisture. It cannot stand the deep South's heat and humid air. Chicago Botanic Garden lists USDA hardiness zones 3–7. Its stated water need is moderate, not low.

Use it in perennial borders, cottage gardens, or meadow plantings. It also suits open woods and areas left to grow wild. Small plants can fit into rock gardens. Chicago Botanic Garden lists it for groundcover and growth beneath taller plants. Cut flower stems shorter to change the plant's height. Its fine leaves offer a choice in place of maidenhair ferns. Missouri Botanical Garden says it needs little care and resists deer. It reports no serious problems with insects or disease. The supplied sources give no evidence specific to this species about safe parts to eat. They give none about whether it is toxic, either.