About
Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' is a cultivar of meadow-rue in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, grown as an herbaceous perennial. It shows the genus' finely divided, bipinnate leaves and airy sprays of small, apetalous flowers topped by long stamens. Flowering runs from June to August. It suits moist, lightly shaded positions where the soil does not dry out.
About the genus
Thalictrum is a genus of 120–200 species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native mostly to temperate regions. Meadow-rue is a common name for plants in this genus.
Wikipedia contributors, "Thalictrum", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Thalictrum
In the garden
Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' belongs to a genus of temperate-region perennials in the Ranunculaceae known collectively as meadow-rues. Plants in this group typically carry twice- or thrice-divided leaves and produce clusters of small flowers without petals, relying on numerous stamens for their visual impact rather than showy petals. Choose a site that mimics the genus' natural preference for shaded or damp locations: dappled light or light shade with consistently moist, humus-rich soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter at planting and apply a seasonal mulch to help retain moisture and moderate soil temperature. Water during dry spells to prevent the crown from drying out, and lift or divide congested clumps in spring if necessary. In the UK garden, use Thalictrum 'Black Stockings' where airy floral sprays are needed in a shade border, beside a stream or in a woodland-style bed. Its foliage provides a fine-textured foil to bolder-leaved companions, while the small, apetalous blooms and prominent stamens appear between June and August to extend late-summer interest.
From the Fenn Plants journal
- Notes on DaffodilsWhen to plant daffodil bulbs in the UK, how deep, how to naturalise them in grass, why daffodils stop flowering (“blindness”), and why you should never mix cut daffodils with other flowers.
- Keeping Your NerveHow to garden through a heatwave — the best time to water, why deep soaks beat daily sprinkles, caring for pots and vulnerable plants, and why you can let the lawn go brown.
- Made to LastHow to clean, store and protect garden pots and planters — the frost-proof vs frost-resistant difference, winter care for terracotta and ceramic, and how to reuse a broken pot.
More in the Thalictrum genus
- Thalictrummeadow rue
- Thalictrum aquilegifoliumSiberian columbine meadow-rue, columbine meadow-rue, French meadow-rue, greater meadow-rue
- Thalictrum aquilegifolium 'Album'White Meadow-rue
- Thalictrum aquilegifolium 'Atropurpureum'Purple Meadow-rue
- Thalictrum delavayiChinese meadow rue
- Thalictrum delavayi 'Album'Chinese meadow rue 'Album'
- Thalictrum delavayi 'Hewitt's Double'Chinese Meadow-rue
- Thalictrum flavum 'Illuminator'meadow rue 'Illuminator'
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