If you think about a shade garden there are a few plants that probably come to mind right away. Hostas, coral bells and bleeding hearts are classic members of these gardens. What these plants lack, besides some hostas, is a tall stature. This leaves the back of these garden beds empty or covered by other shorter plants. There are quite a few taller shade perennials on the market, but they tend to also have a larger footprint. Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’ is one solution that gives the much needed height while keeping a smaller footprint.
‘Black Stockings’ meadow rue can reach an astounding 4-5’ tall while only taking up about 2’ of space. The maximum of this height comes from its puffy mauve-pink flowers that bloom in early to mid summer. These blooms attract pollinators and I have seen many bees coming and going from them. The flowers are held above bright green foliage on black stems adding a fabulous contrast to the plant. The foliage is delicate in appearance and reminiscent of columbine. The leaves remain clean as there are almost no pests, but keep an eye out for powdery mildew.
Deer and rabbits tend to avoid this plant. As long as you choose a dappled shade to part shade location this plant can do well in average to moist soils and can tolerate clay. This plant can also be added to cut flower gardens and the blooms are good on their own or in arrangements.
Beyond ‘Black Stockings’ there are other varieties boasting different flower colors and keeping about the same footprint. The other major difference is the stem color as the black stems are the stand out feature of ‘Black Stockings’. Remember this plant when you need to add some dramatic height to your shade garden.
References:
Missouri Botanical Garden: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=371080&isprofile=1&gen=Thalictrum
Hortech: https://hortech.com/plants/thalictrum-%60black-stockings
