Natur in Flussauen: Gelbe Wiesenraute ist „Blume des Jahres 2027“

The Yellow Meadow-rue has been named "Flower of the Year 2027." This yellow-flowered plant is typically found along natural rivers and in moist riverbanks. However, due to river straightening and drying out, the flower has become increasingly rare, according to the Loki Schmidt Foundation in Hamburg. The Yellow Meadow-rue (Thalictrum flavum) is already on the German Red List.

The plant is considered a representative for vibrant riverbanks. Wetland protection through floodplains The Yellow Meadow-rue is the 48th flower to receive this award from the foundation. By naming it, they aim to highlight the importance of natural river courses. "In the riverbanks, roughly one-third of all Central European species live in close proximity.

If we want rare plant species to survive, dragonflies, sedge warblers, and beavers to maintain their homes, and if we want to benefit from a natural water filter and effective flood protection, we must finally allow rivers their natural flow," stated project leader André Palm in a press release. The Yellow Meadow-rue belongs to the Rushwort family and can grow up to 150 centimeters tall.

It blooms from June to August, displaying a very dense spike of hundreds of individual flowers. The Loki Schmidt Foundation owns and develops numerous riverbank areas, such as in Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and Hamburg. There, in recent years, they have planted forest, sealed drainage ditches, and established gentle management on riverbank meadows.

Biologist Loki Schmidt (1919-2010), widow of former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (1918-2015), founded the action in 1980. The goal was to protect wild plants. The "Flower of the Year 2026" was the Field Rush.