Bloomipedia
False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)
Photo: Jensyn Scott via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

False rue anemone

Enemion biternatum

Native in the lower 48

False rue anemone is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

23states
5of our state lists
12,499U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri

Quick look

Enemion biternatum, commonly known as the false rue-anemone, is a spring ephemeral native to moist deciduous woodland in the eastern United States and extreme southern Ontario.

  • 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 23 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,613 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #70 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,723 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #39 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,690 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #75 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist

False rue anemone gift ideas

Handmade false rue anemone 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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    False rue anemone art print

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    False rue anemone greeting card

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    False rue anemone mug

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    False rue anemone earrings

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    False rue anemone embroidery pattern

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    False rue anemone sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,125 records)
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IllinoisNativeMarch–May2,613
IndianaNativeMarch–May1,723
MinnesotaNativeApril–October1,690
MissouriNativeMarch–May792
IowaNativeApril–May453

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
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: S5, secure in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Indiana.
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
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S2), FL (S1), MS (S1), NC (S2), NY (SX), SC (S1), SD (SH), VA (S1), WV (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?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 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 false rue anemone in 23 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Iroquois, Jackson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Sangamon, Schuyler, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago.

Indiana counties with USDA records: Allen, Blackford, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lagrange, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Noble, Ohio, Owen, Parke, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Spencer, St. Joseph, Steuben, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Wayne, Wells.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Chisago, Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Rice, Sherburne, Stearns, Wabasha, Washington, Winona, Wright.

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Rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

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Sources