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July 10, 2005 : Thalictrum rochebruneanum
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Keywords: Ranunculaceae | Thalictrum rochebruneanum Franch. & Sav. | H&S.92-167 | 33889-0180-1997
Updated March 29, 2007: Changed name from Thalictrum rochebrunianum to Thalictrum rochebruneanum in accordance with GRIN.
Some plant common names baffle me, making little sense no matter how I try to understand them. The majority are yeoman-like, duly performing a necessary duty, but often requiring a passing familiarity with the plant to make some sense. A few, however, are transcendent, representing the plant in a way that describes it so perfectly that it could not be improved upon. Sunflower and bleeding heart are two well-known examples of the last category, and I would argue that this plant's common name be added: “lavender mist”.
Thalictrum rochebrunianum is a native of Japan. In the Asian Garden, it grows to a height of 2.5m or 7 feet, and is best grown as a mass of plants to get the full effect of the flowers, as shown here.
As a genus, Thalictrum is commonly known as the meadow-rues. One of the characteristics of the genus that differs it from many others in its family, the Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), is that the flowers lack nectar-producing structures (nectaries). Other members of the family without nectaries include Anemone and Clematis, but they remain insect-pollinated, while Thalictrum relies on the wind.
Mentioning Japan as the extent of this plant's distribution reminded me to pass along this link sent to me by Brent Hine: Haiku Times - Issue No. 99, which features a series of haiku inspired by Denver Botanic Gardens. Haiku Times is a web site that “...celebrates life, nature and culture through the prism of hand-produced artwork plus haiku and photography...Inspiration for the haikutimes is based on the centuries-old Japanese tradition of a kukai, or focused gathering, where poetry relating to a specific time and place is shared.” Well-worth a visit.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at July 10, 2005 12:34 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Matt at July 10, 2005 7:33 PM
Absolutely lovely! And it shall forever be "lavender mist" to me.
Posted by: donna at July 10, 2005 8:43 PM
I'm so looking forward to my small plantings of 'Meadowrue' to grow up and hopefully may resemble your magnificent photo!
Posted by: Jeannette at July 11, 2005 6:11 AM
My computer refused to show me this photo yesterday. Machines! It came through today and the view was a sight for sore eyes. thanks again, DM
Posted by: pam in DM,CA at July 11, 2005 8:45 AM
I first saw this plant in its full glory at a garden in Acadia National Park. It is a delight to grow and adds immense interest to my garden.
Posted by: charlienature at July 11, 2005 7:35 PM
love this site, adds pleasure to my day, thanks
Posted by: alice at July 12, 2005 7:27 AM
What a beautiful plant, I wish I would of bought more, and I am sure I will in the future. I too like the name "Lavendar Mist"
Posted by: Michele Brown at August 14, 2005 5:04 AM
Underbar blomma som jag vill ha mycket mera av.
Posted by: Eva Brodin at July 18, 2006 9:23 PM
Not only does Thalictrum give off a magnificent display of flowers which we can all appreciate but I have to fall in love for sure with any plant that has beautiful purple stems and pinnate leaves that appear to be soft and delicate. So when the flower show is over Thalictrum still continues to be sight for my eyes. Thanks for sharing this with plant enthusiasts everywhere!
Posted by: Krista Mellinger at October 29, 2006 11:34 AM
Dear Sirs! Nice picture!
Here is some information about Thalictrum rochebrunianum. H&S 92:167, it means Holmberg & Strindberg,year 1992(92) and collectionnumber(167). We collected it as seed in South-Korea, Sorak-San National Park, just north of Hangye on road 46 at altitude 400 m, 15 oktober 1992.
At this time we both worked at Gothenburgs Botanical Garden. Today we use this plant a lot in our professional work as gardendesigners!
Mona Holmberg/Ulf Strindberg Sweden
Posted by: ulf strindberg at December 12, 2006 12:58 PM
Thank you Ulf and Mona!
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at December 12, 2006 1:13 PM
I have T. rochebruneanum in my garden, towers to nearly 8' in my coastal NS climate.
Posted by: Jerry Huntley at December 9, 2007 7:18 PM
lovely plant..a just planting one in my reconstituted garden in
st. leonards on sea england. ilove vancouver.
Posted by: lavender mcmillan at March 9, 2008 4:05 PM
Beautiful plant! I wonder if it likes acid, sandy soils. I can to some extent keep the soil moist and not very sandy, but the acidity... I have a lot of tall pine trees that spread their needles everywhere. Does it grow with no direct sun (north orientation)?
Thank you.
Posted by: Rux at July 11, 2008 7:26 PM
Thank you for posting this photo and the botanical name of this plant. I was given this plant by a friend but could never remember anything about it. It is so unique and a beauty every year. I have mine planted in the full sun (when we have it) on the Oregon coast, and it is quite doing well.
Posted by: Linda at August 17, 2008 8:40 PM
I bought this lovely plant for pennies, it was a rescue as far as I was concerned. It was small and dying of thirst in a very small pot at Bi-Mart at the end of summmer. I took it home and planted it in a large pot with other plants--about 5 years ago. It has come back every year, larger and more beautiful than the year before. I absolutely love it! I finally took some of the leaves and flowers to the county extension today to have it identified. Lavender mist is a good name, I always think of lace and fairys when I look at it.
Posted by: Diane M Staehnke at October 8, 2008 3:39 PM
Thank you so much for this lovely photo! This site brings me so much pleasure each and every day. I use a different photo each day for my desktop at work, and when I am feeling stressed, I just minimize all of my windows and enjoy! Ahhh...lavender mist.
Posted by: Rhonda T. at February 26, 2009 10:05 AM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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I appreciate your lovely photos, Daniel. So true about the name- what could be more pleasant than walking among the lavender mist? What a marked contrast also with our own T. occidentale. The best name we can manage for ours is "Western Meadow-rue" a yeoman-like name if there ever was one!