Rue

Ruta graveolens

Also known as: Common Rue, Herb-of-Grace, Garden Rue

Rue is a herb in the Rutaceae family. It grows best in full sun with dry to medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 4-13. Plants reach harvest about 64–86 days after planting and sit about 12 inches apart.

Varieties

1 from Seeds Now · sorted by days to maturity

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▸Rue64–86 days
Heat tolerant, Full sun, Containers, Raised beds, Easy to grow
Needs full sun to grow well It is drought tolerant and rarely, if ever needs to be watered Rue has a long history of use as a domestic remedy, being especially valued for its strengthening action on the eyes The plant contains flavonoids that reduce capillary fragility, which might explain the plants reputation as an eye strengthener. Days to Maturity | 75 days **Warning** Although rue is safe when used correctly, it is considered a toxic herb that can cause side effects such as severe rashes, mood swings, sensitivity to light, stomach pains, dizziness, liver and kidney damage, sleep disorders & muscle spasms. Follow SeedsNow.com's board Rue on Pinterest.
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Family

Rutaceae

Plant spacing

1 plant per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space rue about 12 in apart — that fits 1 plant in each 1-foot square (1×1). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water

Dry to medium

Plan your rue planting

Add rue to a free GardenDraft garden and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

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At a glance

Days to harvest

64–86 days

From transplant or sow to first harvest

Harvest style

Keep picking

Crops over several weeks

Frost tolerance

Hardy · to ~15°F

Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Growing timeline

Start rue indoors ~8 weeks before transplanting 2 weeks before last frost; first harvest 7 weeks after last frost.

Seed to transplant

42-56 days

Outdoor planting

-14 to 0 days vs frost

Propagation

Seed

Schedule anchor

Last Frost

Companion planting — with cited sources

From US/Canada cooperative-extension publications and peer-reviewed studies. Evidence-tier dots show how strongly each recommendation is backed: ●●● peer-reviewed mechanism · ●● extension consensus · ● traditional knowledge with a plausible mechanism.

Avoid planting near (4)

BasilEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationstunts growth
Rue is allelopathic: basil is reported to grow poorly near it due to compounds released from its roots and leaf litter.
Source: S7, Putnam & Tang
Common CabbageEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationstunts growth
Rue is traditionally kept away from cabbage.
Source: S7
Common CucumberEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationstunts growth
Cucumbers are reported to do poorly near rue.
Source: S7
Common SageEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationstunts growth
Sage suffers near rue's allelopathic exudates.
Source: S7, Putnam & Tang

Sources cited

S36: Putnam & Tang (eds.), 1986 — allelopathy compendium
S7: University of Minnesota Extension

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for rue yet. Our extension-service library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.