Scientific Name:
Ruta graveolens
Pronunciation:
ROO-tuh grah-vay-OH-lens
Common Name:
common rue
Family Name:
Rutaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Sub-shrub (becomes woody at base); leaves alternate, compound 3-9cm long, leaflets deeply divided into 2-4 oblanceolate lobes, bluish-green, powdery; florets ~1.5cm wide, 4 or 5 cupped yellow petals, 8 or 10 yellow anthers, filaments ~6mm long.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe (Balkan peninsula)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low, Summer dry
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract butterflies, Herb, Rock garden (Caution: poisonous parts)
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Glaucous, Distinctive smell
Compound Leaf:
Odd-pinnate
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green, Silver / Grayish
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Obovate, Rhomboidal
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Incised
Additional Info:
Pleasant smell but can cause discomfort (any plant part) and photodermatitis if swallowed
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
flat-topped +/- corymb-like
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Tan
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Avoid skin contact
Pest Susceptibility:
Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
