Ruta Graveolens / RUE The Poison Garden, Blarney Castle, Ireland Rue: Ruta GraveolensRuta Graveolens[ Plantae: Angiosperms: Eudicots: Rosids: Sapindales: Rutaceae: Rutoideae: Ruteae: Ruta:Ruta Graveolens ]
Common Names:
Localities:Commonly found throughout the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, Macaronesia, and southwestern Asia.
Description:Rue is a hardy evergreen shrubby plant that is highly scented disagreeble odor, ranging from 20-60 cm tall, with upward of 8-40 species. The most popular "Rue" is "Common Rue". Stems are woody in the lower part, Its leaves are alternate tripinnate or bipinnate with feathery appearance, green to dark green in color hosting yellow flowers with 4-5 petals that are approximately 1 cm in diameter usually from June to September, eventually forming 4-5 lobed capsulated fruit that hosts numerous sees.
Species:Ruta angustifolia - Egyptian Rue; Ruta chalepensis - Fringed Rue; Ruta corsica - Corsican Rue; Ruta graveolens - Common Rue; Ruta montana - Mountain Rue
Cultivation: Grows anywhere, but thrives better in partially sheltered and dry areas. It can be propogated by seeds sown outside and confused in spring, raking and beds kept free of weeds so that the seedlings when 2 inches high can be transplanted into fresh beds. Best to allow 18 inch spacing. With cuttings done in the spring, insert in soil until well rooted in shady borders or by rooted slips taken in spring until readily grown. Poor, dry, rubbishy soil is really good.
Common Uses:Often used to guard off fleas and other biting insects and a common herbal insect repellent.
Culinary Uses: Rue is really bitterly with a nauseous taste, but utilized in many Middle Eastern cuisines, especially as an additive to grappa in Italy. It was a common element to ancient Roman recipes. Often added to salads.
Medicinal Uses: Used for much music in England, it is a chief factor for poison antidotes. Piperno the doctor in 1625 recommended Rue to combat epilepsy, vertigo, and malady - often to be drawn about the cervix of the sufferer. Pliny claimed it was safe to improve eyesight and focus. Believed by Italian artists to make eyesight sharp and clear aiding in detailed drawings. Juice of Rue is frequently utilized to stand off ear aches. It was seen early to guard off contagion, attacks of fleas, and other insects. Culpepper recommends it for sciatica and strain in the joints, also for shaking fits of agues, etc. Volatile oil made from rue contains caprinic, plagonic, caprylic, and oenanthylic acids as swell as rutin. Often distilled from the fresh herb used as a wine, decoctions and infusions for medicinal usage or tea as an emmenogogue. In great quantities it is an acro-narcotic poison. Used sometimes to address hysterical affections, coughs, croup, colic, and gas as it is a mild stomachic.On the skin its an active irritant and sometimes used as a rubefacient, helping ease the grievous strain of sciatica. it can risk dermatitis on the skin and cause rashes, especially if below the hot sun when oils are plentiful on the outside, it can blister skin like a poison ivy rash. Taken as a tea often used to combat nervous nightmares and leaves rubbled to the temples are said to relieve headaches. However, taking the plant intself internally has been known to produce vomiting, convulsions, and stomach pains. The compresses of the leaves applied to chests can combat chronic bronchitis. Leaves chewed are believed to calm nervous headaches, giddiness, hysterical spasms, and palpitations.
Magical Uses:The Ancient Greeks see it as a "anti-magical herb" because it served as remedie to nervous indigestion they suffered when eating before strangers which was blamed on witchcraft. Throughout the Middle Ages it was seen as a powerful defense against witches and a primary element in many spells. Crushed herb is known to guard off malevolent spirits and witches.Rue is also believed to summon second sight. Holy water was sprinkled with rue brushes at ceremonies preceding sunday celebrations of high mass, giving it the name Herb of Penitence or Herb of Grace. Often boiled together with treacle, conserving the rue, and used to cure croup in poultry or to stand off diseases in cattle.
Folklore and History:The list comes from "Ruta" (Greek `reuo`) meaning "to set loose" as the herb is known to be really proficient at affecting various diseases. Used by many ancient cultures, it was written about by Hippocrates who commended it as a primary factor for combatting poisons in antidotes. Said by Gerard that "If a man be anointed with the juice of rue, the poison of wolf`s bane, mushrooms, or todestooles, the bitter of serpents, stinging of scorpions, spiders, bees, hornets and wasps will not suffer him.", it was commonly sprinkled in houses to defeat all the feas and as an insecticide. It is one of the ingredients in the "Vinegar of the Four Thieves". It is the floral symbol of repentance, sorrow, and of regret.
Rue The Poison Garden, Blarney Castle, Ireland 
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