Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

Everywhere you look in early spring you will see this little delicate flower. Rue Anemone is found in woodlands blooming about the same time as the redbud trees. Most of the time it’s white or very light pink, but sometimes you can find one that’s a more pronounced pink. The flowers are both single and often have a double row of petals.

Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

The official name, Thalictrum thalictroides refers to how its leaves look just like that of Meadow Rue, a close cousin. The flowers, however, resemble an Anemone. Hence the common name…Rue Anemone. Find more information here and here.

Rue Anemone is a very long-flowering wildflower. It’s one of the first to begin blooming and it typically is still hanging on when the early summer flowers begin to appear. It seems like such a delicate plant but holds its own.

Taken a bit later in the season, you can see how Rue Anemone has more leaves than earlier and has lost the reddish tinge on the foliage.