Medicinal Monday Early Meadow Rue

Early Meadow Rue or Thalictrum dioicum with its attractive lacey foliage with white and gold flower-like tassels can be found throughout New England including Connecticut. It is one of the earliest flowers to emerge in the spring in the woodlands. Native American communities used this dainty ephemeral herb medicinally in several different ways. 

About Early Meadow Rue

This woodland spring ephemeral, which is part of the Buttercup Family grows up to one foot high on a pale green to purplish stem. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stem and are divided into segments once and then further divided into leaflets. The upper leaf is medium green and the underleaf is pale green. Corymbs or branched flower structures form at the top of the stem and hold pendant flowers that droop. Early Meadow Rue flowers are either male or female (they are dioecious hence the name dioicum) and are found on separate plants. Both male and female flowers have 5 to 7 sepals but lack petals since they are wind-pollinated and don't need to attract insects. Male flowers have two or more yellow stamens and female flowers grow upright and have 20 pistils. Clusters of seeds form on female plants after the blooms fade. The seeds are called achenes and are ellipse-ribbed and pointed at each end. After the plant blooms in the spring, it dies down in the summer and goes dormant in the fall until the following spring.

Medicinal Uses

There are not many documented uses for this spring ephemeral among Native American communities. It has been documented that the Cherokee made an infusion of the roots and used it to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.  They also took an infusion for vomiting. The Iroquois made a decoction of the roots and used it as a wash for sore eyes. They also made a decoction of the roots to treat heart palpitations. Blackfoot Indian girls used to tie the flower or seed bunches in their hair. Girls felt it was a great love medicine, that would help them attract the first male who saw them. Several other tribes of Amerindians also felt meadow rue was a love potion. It was given to a quarreling couple to stop the argument. The Ojibwa and Potawatomi, for example, would secretly place the seeds in the couple's food to overcome the quarreling

Some of Canada's First People used the roots to cure snake bites. They also used the leaves as an ingredient in spruce beer.

Did You Know...

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.

Because they are pollinated by the wind these flowers don't attract insects. 

Rabbits and deer eat the leaves which are also food for several species of moths. 

Another name for this plant is Quicksilver.