Rue
Ruta graveolens
Description
Rue is an evergreen shrub, attractive in appearance, little more than half a metre tall, which can be used to form low hedges useful for edging flower beds. In places where winters bring temperatures below zero, the rue clump should be protected; if it is grown in a pot, the pot should be moved to a sheltered spot.
Stem
It becomes woody from the second year, before that it is bluish green.
Leaves
Rue leaves are small, ovate and deeply lobed; their colour is whitish green or bluish green, but it can also shade into metallic blue or show cream-coloured patches; they are always dotted with oil glands.
Flowers
After midsummer the flowers open, yellow tending to green.
Exposure
Rue prefers full sun, but also grows in half-shade.
Propagation
Sowing should be done in spring, as should the division of clumps, cuttings, on the other hand, should be taken in late summer. If you choose to sow, it is worth knowing that germination is slow.
Growth
A little less than half a metre should be left between plants; each plant likes to be pruned in late spring.
Harvesting
The young leaves are harvested shortly before the plant flowers, and the seeds when ripe.
Storage
The leaves are kept dried.
Properties
IN THE KITCHEN: Game is customarily marinated in an infusion of rue seeds and mint.
Beauty
Legend has it that Leonardo attributed his extraordinary visual abilities to rue; and indeed rinsing with an infusion of this herb restores well-being to tired eyes.
Health
Rue is a poisonous herb and, consumed in high doses, can seriously harm health. For internal use it must therefore be taken in very low doses – from two to five grams per litre of water – and always under strict medical supervision.
Curiosity
In the past rue was believed to have the power to prevent contagion by the plague; today, by scattering the dried leaves on floors, near cracks, insects are kept away thanks to an insecticidal substance contained in them. It seems that the design of the clubs suit on playing cards was inspired precisely by the graceful leaf of rue.