Forms and textures range from strong and bold to soft and subtle. Some plants will stand out in a woodland garden and demand attention regardless of neighbouring growth, while others benefit from the plants around them to reveal their full charm.
Thalictrum delavayi is one of the latter. Everything about it is light and delicate. Slender stems reach up, supporting a basal mound of light-green foliage.
Leaves are delicate too, divided into five to seven leaflets, with each leaflet further divided into three to five. Leaflets emerge oval but as they mature they develop three lobes to give the impression of 3cm-long duck's feet.
They are also widely spaced by thin, wiry leaf stalks, adding to the plant's delicate airiness.
In mid- to late summer, sprays of small mauve, lilac or white flowers dance above the foliage. Given support, the stems can stand up to 1.2m high. Rather than resorting to staking, which can distort their natural shape, or worse, give the wind a barrier to bend the stems over, it is best to let the whole plant lean on surrounding plants. Unsupported stems arch forward in a loose cascade of lilac and green.
On its own, Thalictrum delavayi is certainly eye-catching. In Dunedin Botanic Garden it contributes to the woodland garden character in the Rhododendron Dell's Pontica Area. Its delicacy is highlighted by a backdrop of rhododendrons and a ceiling of the strong forms of mature Magnolia campbellii.
• Doug Thomson is curator of the Rhododendron Dell at Dunedin Botanic Garden.
