Thalictrum dioicum

In April, early meadow rue adorns the tips of its branches with yellow tassels. These are the plant’s male flowers, and they are perfectly positioned to release their pollen to the breeze. If there is a female plant nearby, her flowers will likely catch some of this pollen and then produce seed later in the season. As a wind-pollinated forest plant, early meadow rue increases its pollination success by blooming early in the spring. Prior to tree and shrub leaf-out, wind travels easier through the forest and has a heightened ability to disperse pollen. This is why wind-pollinated trees, such as oaks, also release their pollen in the springtime.  After early meadow-rue’s flowers have faded, its delicate, greyish-green foliage persists, offering a lovely textural element to the herbage of the forest floor. The plant’s rounded leaflets are spaced widely on threadlike stalks, creating a stunning impression of depth as they seem to float above the ground. In the home landscape, early meadow