Rue — Herbs
Ruta graveolens
Full sun, light watering — hardy through cold winters.
- Plant out
- May–Sep
- In flower
- Jun, Jul, Aug
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Difficulty
- Demanding
- Hardiness
- H5
- Season
- summer
- Height
- 50–100 cm
- Spacing
- 100 cm
- Pets
- Toxic to pets
- Bee friendly
- Bee friendly
Growing notes
Grows to 0.5-1 metres. Space about 50-100cm apart. In flower Jun-Aug.
Toxic to pets
Rue is poisonous if eaten, causing sickness in people and pets, and its sap is toxic to skin in sunlight and can blister it badly. Wear gloves and keep your skin covered whenever you handle it, avoid cutting it on sunny days, and wash off any sap at once. If a person eats any or the skin reacts, get medical advice; if a pet chews it, contact a vet.
→ NHS 111 for a person; your vet or the Animal PoisonLine for an animal