Thalictrum ichangense 'Evening Star' (Evening Star Meadow Rue)

A lovely woodland and shade container perennial with copper new foliage that turns sea green with silver veins and bronzy accents; lovely lavender blooms drift above on deep red stems throughout the season

Evening Star Meadow Rue is an open herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Evening Star Meadow Rue features airy spikes of lavender flowers rising above the foliage from mid spring to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive round leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning bluish-green in colour with distinctive silver veins and tinges of light green throughout the season. The dark red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Evening Star Meadow Rue will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 9 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

Evening Star Meadow Rue is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.