Flower profile

Tall meadow-rue

Thalictrum pubescens

Tall meadow-rue (Thalictrum pubescens) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Tall meadow-rue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

24states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

6,680U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, Vermont

Quick look

Thalictrum pubescens, the king of the meadow or tall meadow-rue, is a plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Thalictrum pubescens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Vermont and Maine. ^NatureServe
In Vermont, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,046 research-grade sightings of it in Vermont, ranking #85 among the 159 flowers on our Vermont list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 749 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #95 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,091 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Vermont	Native	June–July	1,046
Maine	Native	June–July	749

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
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 tall meadow-rue in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Vermont counties with USDA records: Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Thalictrum perelegans, Thalictrum polygamum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 429 counties across 20 states; the most are in Virginia (78), Pennsylvania (67), New York (53).

Other Thalictrum on Bloomipedia (2): Rue anemone, Early meadow-rue.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica, Red baneberry.

More Vermont flowers

Marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: April–May

White baneberry

Actaea pachypoda

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: May–June

Sharp-lobed hepatica

Hepatica acutiloba

Native

🌼 Blooms in VT: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile THPU2.
iNaturalist, Thalictrum pubescens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Thalictrum pubescens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Thalictrum pubescens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Tom Scavo via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.