Herb of the Month: Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Description: Rue is a small, typically evergreen or semievergreen plant with divided, clublike leaves. Flowers are bright yellow with four petals, and blooms occur in summer. It can reach 2 or 3 feet in height.
Cultivation: Propagation can occur by seeds or cuttings. Leaves are picked in spring and summer.
Medicinal: Rue is used as a homeopathic remedy for many different conditions, including eyestrain, sprains, strained tendons, and bruised bones. Poultices and salves can be used to relieve sciatica, gout and rheumatic pain.
CAUTIONS: Rue can cause a poison-ivy like rash, particularly if it is handled in the sun or in wet conditions. It is also not safe for internal consumption unless under the care of a knowledgeable person, since it can be toxic if taken internally.
Culinary uses: Despite warnings, rue has traditionally been used in dishes requiring a bitter flavoring, and in flavoring liqueurs.
Sources:
Herbs and Spices for Florida Gardens by Monica Moran Brandies.
A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Year by Ellen Evert Hopman.
Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses by Deni Bown. Flowering rue
More about Rue:
• Rue was once used to sprinkle holy water in churches, and thus earned the name ‘herb of grace’.
• Rue is traditionally thought to have powerful purifying properties, and can clear negativity.
• Rue was also thought to be a potent antidote against poisons and disease, and was one of the “Four Thieves’ Vinegar” (thought to be protection against the Black Plague)