Combining black and white in one plant is often a genetic impossibility – not this time
Thalictrums have never belonged to the bestselling rank of hardy perennials, but the arrival of
Thalictrum Nimbus White (‘Tntnw’) might just change that. It has three features that combine to set it apart from so many other perennials.
First it’s a foliage plant, then it’s a unique flowering plant and then there are the seed heads.
“One of the best features is the
Adiantum-like foliage in the spring. Each spring, fresh, blue-green foliage emerges, looking for all the world like a Maidenhair fern on steroids!”
“After a month or so of doing an impression of a fern, this beauty throws up a brilliant multi-headed spike of white floss, gently scented and long lasting for a
Thalictrum.”
So says Chuck Pavlich, Director of New Product Development at Terra Nova Nurseries in Oregon whose plant breeder Janet Egger developed Nimbus White.
Long-lasting and self supporting
The other feature that strikes me about this tough
perennial is that those pure white clouds of flowers are carried on relatively short, self-supporting black stems.
The mound of ferny blue-green foliage makes a lovely spring feature and then a mass of stout, 70cm black stems surges through, carrying those clouds of white clouds from May to July. What’s more, the white flowers are followed by lavender pink seed heads to extend the season. N
imbus White grows well in full sun or part shade in any reasonable soil.
“
Thalictrum Nimbus White came out of Janet Eggers’ breeding program,” says Chuck Pavlich. “The goal was a garden-worthy
Thalictrum that does not easily lodge in a typical garden setting. Janet made crosses, selected the shortest, then worked on flower colour. The project was four years long prior to doing trials.” There is also a pink-flowered form,
Thalictrum Nimbus Pink ('Tntnp').
You can order
Thalictrum Nimbus White (‘Tntnw’) from these
RHS Plant Finder nurseries
Thalictrum Nimbus Pink ('Tntnp') is available to order from these
RHS Plant Finder nurseries.
*Please note, the contents of this blog reflect the views of its author and do not constitute an official endorsement by the RHS.
