IDENTIFICATION

Scientific name:

Ruta graveolens

Italian common name:

Ruta comune, Capraggine, Ruta di Capra, Galena o Erba di Grazia

Family:

Rutaceae

Origin:

Southern Europe, North-East Africa and South-West Asia. It was introduced to England by the Romans. From there settlers and explorers brought it to the United States and Australia.

Environment:

a purely rustic plant, it adapts very well to areas where the climate is very harsh, however it prefers warm temperate climates, often with very little rainfall. It grows very well on the banks of lakes in the alpine areas, at low altitude.

Evergreen or deciduous:

evergreen

Toxicity:

The properties of rue are many as well as its dangers, it must be handled and consumed with care. Rue extracts are mutagenic and hepatotoxic; in large doses they can cause violent gastric pain, vomiting, systemic complications and even death. Rue oil can cause kidney damage and severe liver degeneration. Exposure to rue extracts, or to plant preparations derived from it, can cause serious photodermatitis, which can cause actual skin burns

PLANT RECOGNITION

Height:

from 70 cm. up to 80 cm.

Width (extension):

up to 60 cm.

Habit:

erect in nature, but if cared for it takes on a globular shape.

Leaf:

fleshy, green-glaucous (ash) colour, deeply incised, with a 2-4 cm petiole. The leaves are arranged alternately, and are twice divided into oblong laciniae (narrow, elongated parts, generally ending with a sharp tip). They have translucent glands that contain the oil that gives the strong scent.

Flower:

4 inconspicuous yellow petals of 6 mm (the apical flowers have 5 petals), curled at the edges, are borne by apical corymb-shaped inflorescences.

Flowering:

May – July

Fruit:

Small lobed capsules containing the seeds. The capsule is wrinkled and made up of 4-5 lobes, with obtuse-rounded apical teeth.

Stem:

lignified stem only at the base, silvery in color and erect branches.

Property:

It is an anti-inflammatory, abortifacient, antispasmodic, vermifuge, anthelmintic, carminative, emmenagogue, expectorant, haemostatic, rubefacient, homeopathic, ophthalmic, stomachic, antidote and emetic plant. However, in case of medical use, we recommend consulting a qualified herbalist.

Rue is stimulating, strengthens the capillaries, irritates the intestine and can cause bleeding and gastroenteritis. It favors abortion, but restores the rhythm to menstruation. Due to its antispasmodic action it cures hypertension, epilepsy and colic. It has a protective action on the capillaries. The dried leaves are a powerful insecticide and germicide for wounds.

Lights and shadows

The juice from the stem can cause a rash, so it is also advisable to handle it with protection to avoid the risk of redness, swelling and blisters similar to sunburn. The sun and rain often aggravate the effect.

It was used in popular medicine in very diluted infusions, to calm hysterical attacks, to favor and make menstrual cycles easier and less painful (even if we remember that it is an abortifacient plant), to soothe flatulent intestinal colic, to clear the sight with repeated washing in case of glaucoma.

A cotton ball soaked in a decoction of rue and inserted into the nostrils was believed to cure chronic rhinitis.

Finally, the herb rue has some positive effects on digestion.

Rue and tumor studies

Studies are being carried out to investigate Rue’s ability to slow down tumors. It seems that this plant, in fact, can only destroy diseased cells, saving healthy ones. Who knows whether resorting to natural remedies could be a valid addition to existing treatments.

The oil is used in the perfume industry.

Parfume:

intense and unpleasant

NEED

Maintenance:

low

Light Exposure:

prefers areas in full sun or bright shade. However, it is able to resist even harsh winters with temperatures just below 0°.

Soil type:

Dry or well-draining, calcareous, stony, sandy or gravelly

Soil acidity:

pH 6,0 – 8,0

Italian climatic area:

It is common in Italy, even spontaneous below 1000 meters above sea level, except the islands

Need for water:

It needs water while growing, but as an adult it is satisfied with rainfall. Some irrigation should be carried out only in the case of prolonged drought.

Propagation:

It is sown in spring on a sandy substrate. Reproduction is also possible by multiplication of tufts or by cutting of woody twigs.

Pruning:

At the beginning of summer, thin out the inflorescences to encourage greater production of leaves which will be more aromatic.

Diseases:

Worthy of note are rue rust (Aecidium rutae) and powdery mildew (Oidium erysiphoides), which are effectively fought with sulphur-based products. Among animal parasites we highlight the swallowtail (Papilio machaon) whose larvae damage the stems of the leaves. Stressed plants may be susceptible to leaf borers and leaf miner. Phytophthora root rot can cause problems.

PARTICULARITY

Ruta: [Rutaceae] from the Greek ῥῡτή rhuté, Greek name for rue

Graveolens from heavy, annoying grávis and from oil exhale odor: which gives off an intense or unpleasant odor

The rue and the mice

Due to its repellent properties it is used to fight insects by scattering its leaves in the cracks where they take refuge and kept in cellars it seems, with its smell, effective in keeping mice away.

The round and lobed leaves of the rue inspired those who designed the suits of the clubs in the decks of cards.

Annotations

Considered since ancient times, a magical cure for every ailment was in fact already known by the ancient Romans, it appeared in the list of plants grown in the garden of monasteries under Charlemagne and in the Middle Ages it entered the composition of a vinegar that was used to fight the plague .

Ancient doctors believed it capable of making sight sharper, as Ovid, Pliny and the Salerno School asserted.

In the Renaissance, painters, engravers and goldsmiths used rue to enhance their eyesight as well as their inner creative vision. It seems Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo also used it. It was considered a magical herb that gave second sight.

La Ruta antidote

Culpeper wrote that ‘rue seeds infused in wine are an antidote to any dangerous medicine or deadly poison’. John Gerard recommended its use against snake bite and illness caused by the consumption of poisonous mushrooms. Famous as a herb of good, it was included by Catholics in celebrations and this is why it is also called the Herb of Grace.

The Vinegar of the Four Thieves

It seems that during the bubonic plague it became famous as “Four Thieves’ Vinegar” because it was used by thieves to avoid getting sick while rummaging through corpses.

Rue was considered effective against fear, was cultivated to defend the home from various accidents of evil forces and was kept in the pocket or worn in special bags to face difficult and scary situations.

It is sometimes used as a hedge plant to delimit the herb garden, although it is not compatible with sage, basil and cabbage.

If you wish to delve further into the topic of Rue as a magical herb, read on here

Today it is mainly used as an ornamental plant for borders.

There is also the variegated leaf specimen with the same scent as common rue but whose properties have not been tested.

In the kitchen:

The bitter leaves, rich in iron and mineral salts, used in limited quantities, add a musky flavor to food, grappa and other alcoholic drinks and are digestive. In very small doses it can flavor eggs, cheeses and fish. It was added to sour and pungent fruit such as plums and gooseberries. The seeds together with mint leaves are used to flavor game meat.