Flower profile
Early meadow-rue
Thalictrum dioicum
Early meadow-rue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Minnesota it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Minnesota
Quick look
Thalictrum dioicum, the early meadow-rue or quicksilver-weed, is a species of herbaceous plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Plants are typically upright growing woodland natives from Colorado Rocky Mountain forests to central and eastern North America including parts of south eastern Canada. This species has dioecious plants, with male and female flowers on separate plants blooming in early to mid spring.
- It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 33 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota. NatureServe
- In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,609 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #85 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist
Early meadow-rue gift ideas
Handmade early meadow-rue gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Early meadow-rue art print
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Early meadow-rue greeting card
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Early meadow-rue mug
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Early meadow-rue earrings
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Early meadow-rue embroidery pattern
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Early meadow-rue sticker
When does it bloom?
In Minnesota, most flowering sightings come in April–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Minnesota
- Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), DE (S1), KS (S1), MS (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records early meadow-rue in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Blue Earth, Carlton, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Dakota, Douglas, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Marshall, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sherburne, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Todd, Wabasha, Washington, Winona, Wright.
More Minnesota flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile THDI.
- iNaturalist, Thalictrum dioicum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Thalictrum dioicum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
- Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Thalictrum dioicum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Liren Varghese via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.