Nimbus Pink Meadow Rue Creates a Fluffy Pink Cloud of Flowers

Virtues: Nimbus Pink meadow rue (Thalictrum) is a heavy-flowering perennial with blooms like puffy pink clouds from spring through midsummer. These flowers attract pollinators and stand atop strong upright stems that rise from ferny foliage.

Common name: Nimbus Pink meadow rue

Botanical name: Thalictrum aquilegifolium Nimbus Pink ('TNTNP')

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Flowers: Pale pink puffball flowers appear in dense clusters atop upright, dark-colored stems from late spring through midsummer. The flowers all occur at roughly the same height, creating a dense, fluffy pink cloud.

Foliage: Compound leaves made up of medium green, maple-like leaflets create a fine, fernlike texture. As the species name (aquilegifolium) suggests, the leaves resemble those of columbines (Aquilegia). 

Habit: This herbaceous perennial reaches about 28 inches tall and 16 inches wide, with strong, straight stems giving it a strong columnar shape.

Origin: The species is native to Europe and Central Asia. The cultivar Nimbus Pink is an introduction from by Terra Nova Nurseries.

How to grow it: Plant Thalictrum Nimbus Pink in full sun to part shade, in average to rich soil. This plant prefers regular moisture. In hot regions, site it where it will receive some shade in the afternoon. This perennial will flower in its first year of growth, but subsequent years will show a more impressive bloom. USDA Zones 5–9.

Image credit: Terra Nova Nurseries