Medicinal Monday - Rue Anemone

This delicate spring ephemeral flower is one of the most attractive wildflowers in the deciduous woodlands in the early spring. Its delicate looks are deceiving because this delicate flower can withstand hard spring frosts! This flower is in the Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family. Many plants in this family are known for their combination of poison and medicine. Although much of this plant is mildly toxic, Indigenous people found several uses for this flower. 

About Rue Anemone

This woodland perennial is native to eastern North America including Connecticut. It is considered to be a true springtime ephemeral that blooms from mid.-April through June. It grows up to 9" high and has white to pinkish flowers, with five to ten petal-like sepals and numerous yellow-green stamens. The flowers grow in clusters above whorls of three-lobed leaves. The upper leaf is greenish purple and hairless and the lower surface is pale green. One identifying characteristic is that each flower has its own reddish-brown stem. The flowers are replaced by a cluster of achenes that contain a single seed. This flower reproduces by reseeding itself. The root system is fibrous near the base of the plant. The flowers grow on wooded slopes and ridges and prefer dappled sunlight. It becomes dormant in the summer.

Medicinal Uses

All parts of this plant are mildly toxic and contact with the sap can cause inflammation and blistering of the skin. However, the toxin is destroyed by heat, making the tuberous root edible after cooking. Many Native American communities made tea from the roots of this plant and consumed it for the treatment of diarrhea and vomiting. There are documented uses of an infusion of the roots being used by the Cherokee for diarrhea and vomiting.

Did You Know...

There are 25 different types of anemone that grow in the United States. 

The genus name, Thalictrum thalictroides comes from the Greek word thaliktron which was a name used by Dioscorides to describe the plant genus. It refers to the plant's three-lobed dark green leaves that resemble meadow rue.

The word anemone or anemonella in Greek means small wildflower.

The flower offers pollen to bees including cuckoo, mason, carpenter, Halictid, and Andrenid bees.

The foliage is toxic and is usually ignored by mammals.

This plant is often confused with false rue anemone. One difference is that false-rue anemone grows in large colonies in moist areas while rue anemone can be found on wooded slopes and grows singly.