Thalictrum dioicum

Early Meadow Rue is a graceful spring-blooming perennial with long-stalked leaves divided into many delicate, lobed segments. This plant is dioecious, with separate male and female flower. Petal-less male flowers have yellow stamens that hang like small tassels. The female tassel-like blossoms are purple and appear on separate plants. Found in cool and moist forests, especially close to seepages and small creeks. Blooms quite early, generally only in March and April, rarely into May, which accounts for its common name. The delicate blossoms of this species are extremely attractive, but the plant is grown mostly for its fine-textured foliage. This is a shorter Thalictrum species than the other erect ones.