Thalictrum delavayi Hinckley - Meadow-rue

Thalictrum delavayi 'Hincley' completes the delightful collection of giant meadow rues. It is a splendid variety discovered in China, not widely cultivated. With its beautiful stature, it seduces with its finely cut and chisseled bluish-green foliage, of infinite delicacy, as well as with its generous summer flowering, which tops its growth with a cloud of pale yellow long-stamened flowers, quite large for this genus. A touch of poetry and real elegance are combined in this hardy and sturdy perennial, which will find its place in partially shaded borders, in moist soil.

Thalictrum delavayi, also known as Thalictrum dipterocarpum, sometimes called Chinese Meadow Rue, is a rhizomatous perennial plant native to the Himalayan region of Asia, from eastern Tibet to western China. It belongs to the family of buttercups. It is found in the wild at high altitudes, in forests, shrublands, and grassy slopes. This variety of meadow rue is a herbaceous perennial plant, with an upright and erect habit, forming a bushy clump, from which stems rise, reaching a height of about 1.50 m (5ft), sometimes more, with a width of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in). Its foliage, glaucous green on the upper surface and bluish underneath, finely cut and very light, resembles that of a columbine.  It is is composed of leaves 15 to 35 cm (6 to 14in) long, pinnate or ternate, with entire or trilobed leaflets. From July to September, large loose panicles appear, which are well-branched, composed of small star-shaped flowers with a diameter of 2 to 3 mm (0.5 in), with four lavender mauve sepals, enhanced by prominent yellow stamens. Not liking the competition of nearby roots, a planting distance of 40 cm (16in) around its base should be allowed.  Meadow rues, which are quite slow to establish, will become more beautiful over time. This plant is deciduous, its above-ground growth disappears in winter and regrows each spring.

This meadow rue 'Hinckley' has the same ornamental function as gypsophila, but chooses damp and shaded areas of the garden. With its growth, its delicate and elegant bluish columbine-like foliage, as well as its airy and colourful flowers, it will be perfect to give height and lightness to borders. Despite its size, its transparent silhouette allows it to also be planted at the front of borders to create an unusual effect. It will be very effective in contrast with less delicate perennials (Rodgersia, Hosta), as well as on the edge of shrub borders. It will perfectly associate with other partially shaded and moist soil plants: Hydrangeas, Fuchsias, Japanese Anemones, Aconites, Astilbes, Campanulas, Snowberries, Ferns, Hellebores, Foxgloves, Grasses, Perennial Geraniums, Elderberry, Bamboo sacré…