Herb: Lesser Meadow Rue


Latin name: Thalictrum minus


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Lesser Meadow Rue:

An infusion of the leaves, or a decoction of the root, is used in the treatment of fevers.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Dry limestone slopes, limestone rocks, cliff ledges, scree, shingle, chalk quarries, banks etc. Ssp arenarium grows on open or closed dunes, ssp majus in damp shady places chiefly by streams and lakes

Edible parts of Lesser Meadow Rue:

Young leaves - cooked. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Other uses of the herb:

Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 60cm apart each way.

Propagation of Lesser Meadow Rue:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in spring. Plant them into their permanent positions the following spring. Division in spring as new growth commences or in the autumn. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Dry limestone slopes, limestone rocks, cliff ledges, scree, shingle, chalk quarries, banks etc. Ssp arenarium grows on open or closed dunes, ssp majus in damp shady places chiefly by streams and lakes

Known hazards of Thalictrum minus:

Although no records of toxicity have been found for this plant, it belongs to a family that includes many poisonous plants so some caution is advised.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.