Thalictrum tuberosum, was What's Blooming Oregon

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:33:53 PDT
Robin Hansen wrote

>Is anyone familiar with Thalictrum tuberosum?  Raised from seed, it 
>is blooming for the first time.  The flowers are large, 5/8" or more 
>and creamy white with yellow stamens on a plant that is maybe 4" at 
>the moment.  I can't seem to find much information and am hoping 
>someone can tell me whether it's small enough for a shady trough.

I've grown this (from seed from the Archibalds) for many years. It is 
a very small plant, with almost all the foliage (which is pretty and 
glaucous) being basal. The flowering stem can get to about 6 inches 
(15 cm) tall, and the inflorescence is petaloid (as in the more showy 
Thalictrum species). My original plant is quite old now, probably 15 
years, and the tuberous rootstock does not look to me like it can be 
safely divided. The seed germinates best if sown fresh, but I did 
grow the original one from stored seed. I grow it in a pot plunged in 
an uncovered frame, in full sun. I don't know what it would look like 
in shade but it might get taller. Although rare in cultivation and 
probably not a commercial prospect (even fresh seed germinates 
poorly, and getting a flowering plant takes at least 3 years), it is 
well worth growing.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA


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