I potted this up tonight, pretty plant but only know a little bit about it. Does anyone that grows this have any tips? Uses? thanks!
Does anyone grow rue?
The leaves of Rue can cause skin problems if you are sensitive. There have been cases where the oil from this plant in combination with sun have caused very painful burns. I have had a plant but it is strong and almost bitter ~ not a favorite of mine in food. The older woman that gave me the plant said it was good for digestion but my reference books warn of large doses cause major problems. The main uses are primarily as a bug or pest deterent in companion planting or as an ornamental. pod
Thanks for the info pod, I didn't have any reaction when I potted it up, so I guess I'm not sensitive.
Good to know about it being a pest deterrent, will look into that one!
Hi,
Rue is well known for its content of Rutin, a bioflavenoid which is beneficial to the strength and structure of the walls of blood vessels and is a powerful anti-inflamatory. As mentioned by podster, excessive doses of rue can be toxic, but taken in small doeses or for short periods it can be beneficial. Rutin is also contained in the rind of citrus.
Nataraj
Thanks Nataraj, this is one interesting herb! I think I will be mainly growing it for it's good looks, sounds like a plant I won't want my grandson or cat to chew though!
I lived up your way Nataraj back in the late 70's,early 80's in Clearlake Highlands [now just called 'Clear Lake'] nice country there, I'm sure it's grown a lot since I was there though!
If you check over in the butterfly forum, you'll find that rue is a host plant for a bunch of butterflies! So if a caterpillar starts munching, you might want to let it continue... :-)
If you like to grow rue, you may also want to try growing its culinary cousin, the curry leaf plant, Murraya koenigii. This is a different plant from the helichrysum (immortelle) that often goes by the name curry plant.
This link shows both plants:
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Murr_koe.html
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/rue---20.html
GM,
I have nothing but respect for you if you can grow curry leaf plant, Murraya Koenigii. I tried it once. It is one of the slowest growing plants I have ever delt with. I kept it in a small pot and watered it faithfully, put it out in the summer, but I guess I forgot to water it for a while and it died. Now I just buy the leaves at the store. As far as I know the leaves are in no way toxic as in the case of rue. It tastes great in curry recipes.
Hey, I just found out about Murraya koenigii yesterday! I was at a neighbor's, delivering an enormous habanero plant (more like a shrub or a small tree, can you believe it grew as a volunteer at the edge of my garden this year) that he wanted to try to overwinter inside as a houseplant (loaded with green habs, too). He and his wife do a lot of Indian cooking, and they showed me a pair of beautiful shrubby plants in pots... the leaves have a wonderul aroma and flavor. I've smelled and tasted the dried leaves, but there are a lot of additional subtleties going on with the fresh ones (like the difference between dried and fresh bay). There were a few babies growing the pots, so I shamelessly begged for one, and when it gets a little bigger it's mine!
I also grew a curry plant (helicrysum) this summer and brought it inside to protect it from the recent frosts. The aroma is very pungent and reminds me of McCormick's curry powder, but there's something about the taste that has made me hesitant to cook with it, just an undertone that I'm not sure I care for. I should experiment...
I had a beautiful rue that I lost to mealy bugs. :( I'll get another one early next year, though. Pregnant women shouldn't get near it, I've heard.