Ruta graveolens
Rue
Common names: Common rue, Herb-of-grace
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 40 cm, rows 50 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Mar–May
- Harvest
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Kurt Stüber [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
Ruta graveolens, commonly known as wine rue, is a blue‑green, evergreen semi‑shrub native to the Mediterranean. It has finely divided leaves that emit a strong, herbaceous, bitter aroma. Historically it has been cultivated as a spice and medicinal herb, but its sap is phototoxic and can cause painful skin irritation and blistering when exposed to sunlight. The plant is also used ornamentally for its silvery blue foliage.
Care instructions
Wine rue prefers a sunny, warm spot with well‑drained, somewhat sandy or loamy soil; it does not tolerate standing water. Water only after the topsoil has dried, and fertilize sparingly. After late‑summer flowering, prune to keep the plant compact and encourage dense growth next year. In containers it survives winter best in a bright, cool location; in the garden it is usually winter hardy when planted in a sheltered spot. When harvesting on sunny days, wear long sleeves and gloves to protect against skin irritation from the sap.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May
HarvestJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 12 °C, ideally 20 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving, dry
Rue loves free-draining, lean soil and does not tolerate waterlogging. A sunny, warm spot with a stony or sandy subsoil recalls its Mediterranean homeland and lets it grow most strongly. It answers soil that is too rich or heavy with weak growth and a less intense aroma.
Feeding
Light feeder
Rue needs practically no feeding and grows healthiest in lean soil. In spring a thin layer of mature compost around the plant is enough, nothing more. If it is fed too richly, it produces a lot of soft green growth and becomes more prone to rot in winter.
Overwintering
Rue is hardy in sheltered, sunny spots, but dislikes a cold, wet root zone. Before the first frost, a loose mulch layer of brushwood or leaves around the root area is worthwhile. In early spring, shortly before new growth begins, cut the plant back hard so it stays compact and bushy.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Cuttings
- Division
Propagation is most reliable with cuttings from semi-ripe shoots in early summer, which quickly form roots in free-draining seed compost. Sowing is also possible, although rue germinates slowly and unevenly, best from mid-April · week 16 to 18 outdoors, or a little earlier on a windowsill. Older, perennial clumps can be carefully divided in spring, but they establish more slowly afterwards than fresh cuttings. Wear gloves when cutting and propagating, as the sap can cause skin irritation in sunlight.
For your garden
Grow Rue yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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