Description
Latin Name: Ruta graveolens. About the Plant: Hardy to Zones 4 to 9. Woody perennial native to the Mediterranean, flowering yellow to 3 feet tall and equally as wide. This is a very showy landscape plant, with long-lived blooms of bright yellow giving way to oily pods that look like tiny oranges. One of the oldest of all talismanic plants, Rue was employed to ward off contagion, malevolent spirits and fleas. Growing the plant in your garden is said to bring financial rewards. Traditional use (TWM): stimulant, antispasmodic and emmenagogue. Wash hands or other body parts that contact the plant with soap after handling, as the plant can cause photosensitive dermititis in predisposed individuals. Plant prefers full sun, regular garden soil. Sow in spring. Standard greenhouse culture or sow in a fine seedbed outdoors. Sow just below surface, tamp securely, keep evenly moist and in the light. Germ in 15 days. Thin or transplant to 2 to 3 feet apart.
