Medicinal Monday... Majestic Purple Meadow Rue

Purple Meadow Rue is a tall, stout, plant that can grow up to six feet. There are six different species of this plant that can be found in the wetlands, meadows, and open woodlands of most states on the eastern seaboard of the United States including Connecticut. Many Native American communities living in this area found several medicinal and cultural uses for this beautiful plant that gets its name from its purple stem.

 About  Purple Meadow Rue 

The scientific name of this particular plant is Thalictrum dasycarpum and it is a member of the Buttercup family. This plant grows from rhizomes and has a stout purple stem that usually branches out at the top. The smooth leaves grow in pairs and have three shallow lobes. In the spring they are olive green and turn an attractive shade of pink or yellow in the fall.  The starry white flowers grow in clusters and have no petals. This plant is dioecious, that is male and female, and flowers bloom on separate plants. The white color of the flowers is from the filaments of the stamens which give them a misty quality. The flowers are followed by an ovoid-shaped achene (seed) that grows in clusters. The mature seed is veined and dark brown.

Medicinal Uses

The most common use of Purple Meadow Rue is to make an infusion of the plant to treat nosebleeds. An infusion of the root was also commonly used as a gall medicine. To treat dry skin and to scent it, the Lakota chewed the seeds and rubbed them on their hands. The Lakota also fed their horses the seeds in order to give them energy. The Pawnee mixed the entire plant with clay and rubbed the mixture on the muzzle of their horses to stimulate them. The Ojibwa made an infusion of the roots and used this mixture to treat fevers. The Potawatomi made a compound of the leaves and seeds and applied this mixture to treat cramps.

Among other uses, the Montagnais use the leaves of Purple Meadow Rue to flavor salmon. The Dakota stored the mature seeds in bags or rubbed or scattered them on clothing for their pleasant scent. Children, including those of the Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca, and Lakota communities, used the hollow stems of this sturdy plant as a toy flute. The Potawatomi smoked the dried seeds while hunting to bring good luck, they also mixed the seeds with tobacco and smoked it as a love medicine before visiting the lady of their choice. Bachelors in the Ponca community rubbed their hands on the tops of this plant as a love charm.

Did You Know...

Non-scientific names for this species include King of the Meadow, Tall Meadow-rue, Late Meadow-rue, Meadow-weed, Muskrat-weed, Silver-weed, and Quicksilver-weed.

The flowers of Purple Meadow Rue are important to bees and butterflies in addition to a number of beetles.

The Greek name Thalictrum refers to plants that have divided leaves.

The species name, dasycarpum, is from two Greek words, dasy, meaning 'hairy or thick' and carpus, meaning 'fruited'

The genus Thalictrum is quite large with 200 species worldwide.