Purple Meadowrue is an upright herbaceous perennial, 2 – 6 ft. high in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family native from Alberta and Ontario, Canada south to Arizona and Ohio. It is typically found in swamps and wet thickets, stream banks, ditches, meadows, and prairies. Can be easily grown from seed. Purple Meadowrue grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade but prefers a rich, highly organic soil and dappled sun in the afternoon. It is intolerant of hot and humid conditions and would do well in areas of shade in the afternoon during the hot summer months. Environmental conditions will dictate the plant size. Plants situated in full sun will require more moisture than if grown in part shade. Cut back in the fall. Divide carefully in spring every 3-4 years while dormant. Divisions may be slow to establish. It makes a great background plant for beds or borders. Usually grown in the back of the border. Quick ID: Basal grouping of lacy, fine-textured, bluish-green leaves divided into numerous, three-lobed leaflets Purple stems that are smooth Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: There are no serious insects or disease issues. Occasionally, powdery mildew and rust may affect the plants' health. Support may be necessary for taller plants.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Dense; Erect
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves have a fine downy underside. They are often divided into numerous, 2-3 lobed leaflets. The individual leaflets can be 3/4-2" in length and 1/2-1 1/2" wide. They become smaller in size as they ascend the stem. The margins of the leaves are smooth and may roll downward. The leaflets upper surface can be light green and smooth or light grayish-green and somewhat hairy.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants. For both sexes, flowers are in large open to dense branching clusters (panicles). The branches of the panicle are usually purple and glabrous. Flowers of both sexes are petal-less and about 1/3 inch across, with 4 to 6 greenish-white sepals that may drop off early. The female flowers have about 10 thread-like white pistils that resemble petals. Male flowers have about 12 dangling white to greenish stamens with pale yellow tips that turn brown with age.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Stem color
Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
The purple stems branch in the upper portion. They are typically smooth but can be sparsely hairy.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Alberta, Ontario south to Arizona and Ohio
Distribution
AL, AR, AZ, CO, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, ND, NE, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY
Wildlife value
Honeybees and other bees are attracted to the pollen of the male flower, but do not serve as pollinators.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Uses (ethnobotany)
Makes a great background plant for beds, grown for its bluish-green leaves