Eggarton Cottages, Eggarton Lane, Godmersham, Kent, CT4 7DY
Tel/Fax: 01227 730242
Grows to about 3 ft (92 cm) high. Very aromatic. Makes a strong disinfectant and insect repellent when leaves are strewn across the floor. Leaves can also be chopped finely for salads and sandwiches.
It was recommended by Dioscorides for the treatment of snakebite, as he reckoned that weasels ate the leaves before fighting snakes. He also claimed it had contraceptive properties. Plant Rue round buildings to keep out snakes. In Medieval and Tudor times it was one of the main ingredients for exorcism. Used to be used for menstrual problems because it contains rutocide. Very small doses of the herb can ease colic. Fresh leaves can be used on cuts. Dried and powdered plant can be used to treat skin inflammation. The plant is a uterine stimulant and has been used in the past to induce abortion. It tends not to be used nowadays medicinally. Juice has been used for earache.
Eat Rue if tempted by lust. Rue was given as a good luck gift to parents of a new born. The Neopolitan physician, Piperno, recommended,. In 1625, Rue for epilepsy and vertigo. Rue has been used in love rituals - a wreath would be made of Rue, Willow and Cranesbill and a maiden would walk backwards towards a tree and toss the wreath. The number of tosses it took for the wreath to land on a branch was the number of years she would remain single. Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo daily bathed their eyes in Rue water.
In the Middle Ages it was believed that Rue gave second sight. In seventeenth century Italy it was hung round the neck to prevent vertigo. Was grown around temples to Mars in ancient Rome. The Greeks regarded it as anti-magical because it prevented nervous indigestion when eating in front of strangers, a condition believed to be brought on by spells. Pliny tells us that painters in Italy would eat lots of Rue leaves to help their eyesight. Believed that witches used the plant for its hallucinogenic properties. Bunches of Rue hung up in windows, particularly those facing east, would protect from plague (infected air was believed to blow in froom France). If a child touches Rue when it first goes into the garden, he/she will have a sad life. Bathe in Rue if you have a spell on you. Rue renders a werewolf powerless.
Rue tea for fits. Cold compresses made with diluted Rue tincture and placed on strains, torn ligaments or kicks on shins, will stop the pain. Homeopathic dose of ruta 6 can cure strained eyes and frontal headaches. The plant contains rutin which is prescribed from some blood pressure problems and for strengthening capillaries.
Legend connected with Rue that King Mithradates (132BC - 63AD) poisoned his opposition with Rue and other secret ingredients to become ruler of Ponthus in Asia Minor. Ancient superstition says that Rue stolen from a neighbour's garden will grow better than one planted in your own garden. To keep a lover, take his/her right shoe and write your name on the sole. Fill the shoe with Rue and hang it by a red cord from your bed. Your love will remain for as long as the shoe hangs. Rub fresh leaves on floorboards to send a spell back to its maker. To clear a house of negativity, take a branch of Rue, dip it in salt water and sprinkle it around the house.
Leaves boiled in treacle will cure croup in chickens. Also been used in cattle diseases. Rats hate Rue. In animal medicine, Rue was applied through the nostrils for fever, epilepsy and worms.
Good companion plant to roses and raspberries. Rue and Sage planted together will keep toads away - possibly alluding to the belief that witches were capable of turning into toads or hares. Doesn't like growing with Mint.
Plant in a sunny site and cut back by half in spring to keep it compact. Plant lasts longer in poor, dry soil than good soil.
CAUTION - SEVERELY TOXIC TO SKIN WITH SUNLIGHT (the sap may render the skin excessively sensitive to strong sunlight resulting in painful blistering, so handle with care)
LARGE DOSES CAN LEAD TO MILD POISONING. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT
*This sheet is provided for information only and is in no way a prescription for use. Please seek the advice of a qualified herbalist before using*
Evergreen perennial bush with yellow flowers and blue-green attractive frondy foliage. Also known as Herb of Grace (repentence) due to its bitter taste. It was believed hundreds of years ago that Rue would guard against witches, and innkeepers would give some to travellers for safety. Judges also used to carry it (with Rosemary and Southernwood) with them to protect against contagious disease from prisoners. Name comes from the Greek "reuo", meaning set free because it's good for treating many diseases.