General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Shrub
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4b -31.7 °C (-25 °F) to -28.9 °C (-20 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 9a
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet (61-91cm)
Plant Spread: 1 to 2 feet (30-61cm)
Leaves: Unusual foliage color
Semi-evergreen
Malodorous
Other: Host plant for Giant Swallowtail & Black Swallowtail Butterflies
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Yellow
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Uses: Medicinal Herb
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Days to germinate: 7-21 at 70-75°
Depth to plant seed: 1/8 inch
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Can handle transplanting
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Tip
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Awards and Recognitions: Other: National Plant of Lithuania

Image
Common names
  • Common Rue
  • Rue
  • Garden Rue
  • Herbygrass
  • Herb of Grace

Photo Gallery
Location: Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-06-12
20 year old tough plant on the street side of my town house..
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-07-06
#Pollination
Location: Twisp
Date: June
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-05-24

Date: 2017-01-27
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2017-06-07
Flower with small pollinator.
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2016-06-10
Location: Maryland
Date: 2014-06-20
Black Swallowtail caterpillar enjoys my Rue.

Date: 2013-08-23
Seeds and Giant Swallowtail larvae protecting the seeds.
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-06-22
Location: Botanical garden of Crete
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30

Photo by Leo Michels
Location: Savannah, Georgia, USA (my garden)
Date: 2015 July 22
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-07-29
Location: KYLE
Date: 2019-04-02
host plant for swallowtail butterflies
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-07-16
Location: Cherokee County Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden, Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2012-04-30
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2012-06-03
Location: Dallas, TX Zone 8a
Date: 2017-11-03
Rue seeds purchased from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Location: IL
Date: 2009-07-24
Location: Botanical garden of Crete
Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2015-01-20
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2018-06-12
Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2015-01-20
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-06-12
Location: Plano, TX
Germinated in 3 days
Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2007-06-30
#Pollination

Courtesy of Diane's Flower Seeds
Location: Jacksonville, TX
Date: 2013-08-07
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-08-08
Location: Barson's Greenhouse, Westland, MI
Date: 2013-07-16
In Brenda's Butterfly House
Location: Barson's Greenhouse, Westland, MI
Date: 2013-07-16
In Brenda's Butterfly House

photo credit: Kurt Stüber
Location: Botanical garden of Crete
Date: 2022-06-01
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2014-07-28
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-06-12
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-06-12
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2012-05-29
Location: KYLE
Date: 2019-04-29
Location: KYLE
Date: 2019-04-29

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy
Photo by Mutisia
Photo by Mutisia
Location: All pictures taken in/on my gardens/greenhouse/property
Date: 2021-07-07
Young variegated rue
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-05-18

Photo Courtesy of Select Seeds. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-05-11
Location: Photo taken in my garden after a snow fall.
Date: 2013-01-04
Location: Barson's Greenhouse, Westland, MI
Date: 2013-07-16
In Brenda's Butterfly House
Location: Barson's Greenhouse, Westland, MI
Date: 2013-07-16
In Brenda's Butterfly House
Location: Barson's Greenhouse, Westland, MI
Date: 2013-07-16
In Brenda's Butterfly House

Courtesy Crownsville Nursery
  • Uploaded by vic
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Comments:
  • Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 9:37 PM concerning plant:
    Rue (Ruta graveolens) is a very attractive herb with delicate blue-green leaves. It is a larval host plant for several swallowtail butterfly species, including the Black Swallowtail and Giant Swallowtail Butterflies. Rue also reportedly helps to repel Japanese beetles and flies. Although the use of rue for culinary purposes has declined in modern times, it remains an attractive choice as a companion plant and as a butterfly host plant.
  • Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Sep 19, 2016 10:13 PM concerning plant:
    National flower of Lithuania.
Plant Events from our members
Catmint20906 On July 29, 2015 Bloomed
Rebloom
Catmint20906 On May 18, 2015 Bloomed
flaflwrgrl On July 28, 2015 Miscellaneous Event
NOTE:
Host plant for giant swallowtail butterfly and the eastern black swallowtail butterfly.
DesertJungleFarm On October 15, 2021 Obtained plant
شذاب - الرياض
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