Thalictrums are 'see-through' plants. They have heads of many small flowers, usually without petals, so consisting mainly of stamens and giving an airy appearance, aided by the finely divided foliage, often grey-green. So despite the fact that most of them have no colourful flowers, they are most attractive additions to the garden.

Thalictrum rochebrunianum var. grandisepalum has delicate but robust foliage with tall spikes of fluffy purple flowers with a yellow centre.