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About Rue

Rue is a bitter, blue-green perennial historically used as a medicinal, not a salad herb. It doesn’t require much overseeing once established. Sap can cause phototoxic burns in sunlight. Do not ingest if pregnant.

When to Plant

Start indoors 8 weeks before last frost, or sow after frost. Zones 4–9.

How to Plant

Sow ¼ inch deep. Transplant 18 inches apart in full sun and lean, dry soil. Wear gloves. Water until established, then ignore it.

When to Harvest

Cut small amounts of leaf with gloves, out of midday sun. Dry if you have a traditional use; most kitchen gardeners grow rue as a moth-and-pest companion, not a food.