Rue

Rue (Ruta graveolens) is a small, blue-green, shrubby perennial with a strong, musky, bitter scent and a long history as both a medicinal and symbolic plant — it's sometimes called the "herb of grace." Its lacy, cool-toned foliage has made it a favorite ornamental in knot gardens, even though it sees very little use in the kitchen today.

Growing Rue

Rue is drought-tolerant and easy in lean, well-drained soil, forming a neat, shrubby mound of blue-green foliage that holds its color through much of the year. It's a host plant for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, and its strong scent is thought to repel some garden pests, making it a popular border or companion planting choice.

Traditional Uses

Rue was once used sparingly as a bittering culinary herb in small quantities, but it has largely fallen out of use in modern kitchens given both its overwhelming bitterness and known toxicity in larger doses. Today it's grown almost exclusively as an ornamental and butterfly-garden plant rather than for eating.