Rue Seeds

Rue, the old herb of grace, earns its place for its foliage: a low, evergreen mound of lacy, blue-grey leaves that look good all year. In summer Ruta graveolens carries clusters of small, mustard-yellow flowers above that cool, glaucous leaf, and the whole plant has a sharp, bitter scent. It suits a herb or knot garden, the front of a sunny border and gravel, where it contrasts well with lavender and sage. Rue sap makes skin highly sensitive to sunlight and can cause burn-like blisters, so wear gloves and long sleeves when handling it. The plant is toxic if eaten in quantity and is not a cooking herb.

Sowing and growing

• Sow indoors March to April with gentle warmth (about 20°C), or outdoors April to June
• Surface sow or cover very lightly, no more than 5 mm; the seed needs light
• Germination takes 10 to 20 days
• Full sun, in well-drained, even poor soil
• Grows to around 60 cm tall and wide
• Yellow flowers in summer; trim in spring, wearing gloves, to keep it compact
• A hardy, evergreen perennial subshrub

What you receive: a packet of about 120 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Browse more seeds for sowing, or find trays and modules for starting seed in our propagation supplies.