Thalictrum fendleri
Fendler's meadow rue
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Thalictrum fendleri (Fendler's meadow rue) is a native California herb in the Ranunculaceae family.
Fendler's meadow rue is a California native perennial found in montane and subalpine habitats at elevations ranging from moderate to high mountain zones. Flowering from late spring to early summer, this plant produces delicate, pale greenish-white flowers with thread-like stamens in loose, branching clusters. Growing to an impressive height of 1.5 to 2 meters with upright stems, it develops an elegant, open panicle-like structure with leaf-like bracts. Its compound leaves are complex and finely divided, with numerous small segments 8 to 20 millimeters long that are glabrous or lightly glandular. The plant's fruits are distinctive, with 7 to 20 spreading seed structures that have slightly compressed bodies and short, curved beaks.
Habitat and range
California counties: San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, Fresno, Butte, Orange, Tuolumne, Ventura, Sierra, Alpine, El Dorado, Plumas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, Modoc, Kern, Nevada, Placer, Monterey, Siskiyou, Madera, Amador, Inyo, Mariposa, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Colusa, Alameda, Calaveras, Humboldt, Lassen, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Lake, Tehama, Mendocino, Trinity, Shasta
How to tell it apart
vs Clematis: Thalictrum has herbaceous stems and tiny petal-less flowers in open clusters; Clematis has woody stems and large showy flowers.; vs Adiantum: Thalictrum has flowers with dangling stamens; Adiantum is a true fern with spores on leaf undersides, never flowers.; vs Aquilegia: Thalictrum has tiny petal-less flowers in open airy clusters; Aquilegia has large showy flowers with distinctive spurs.; vs Lomatium: Thalictrum leaves have rounded, scalloped leaflets; Lomatium leaves are finely divided into narrow linear segments.; vs Enemion: Thalictrum has petal-less flowers with dangling linear anthers; Enemion has 5 white petals and shorter stamens.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thalictrum fendleri native to California?
Yes. Thalictrum fendleri is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Thalictrum fendleri grow?
Thalictrum fendleri occurs in San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, Fresno, Butte, Orange, Tuolumne, Ventura and other counties.
What plant family does Thalictrum fendleri belong to?
Thalictrum fendleri is in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Thalictrum.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.