Meadow Rue Black Stockings

A very pretty cultivar of the native Irish meadow rue, named for its thick, jet-black flower-stems, Thalictrum Black Stockings is a tall, upright, bushy, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial, good at the back of a moist border with grasses. The scalloped, mid-green leaves have an almost lacy appearance. In May and June, prolific sprays of fluffy, round, lavender-purple flowers rise above the foliage, each flower made up of many tiny filaments, giving a hazy effect. A beautiful, slender, airy plant, meadow rue Black Stockings holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any moist, well-drained or poorly drained soil, preferably humus-rich
Position: Partial shade; tolerates full sun in reliably moist soil
Season of interest: Early summer
Hardiness: Very hardy
Height: up to 6’6” (2m) Spread: 3’ (90cm)