RUE: DESCRIPTION
Ruta graveolens RUTACEAE
Rue is a herb that today means to many of us only a plant carried by Hamlets Ophelia, and therefore signifying sorrow and dire misfortune. Early herb writers revelled in the knowledge we have now lost of its amazingly strong powers, in particular those affecting eyesight and counteracting poisons. Present-day crime has veered away from poison as a means of settling a score or removing a political enemy; but in the Greek and Roman Empires, a knowledge of antidotes often meant life itself. Rue had an almost magical reputation for warding off or counteracting evil, and even long before this it was known to the Druids and the ancient Saxons as a holy herb and strewn in homes and public places. Later, Christian churches used it too, the twigs for sprinkling Holy Water being taken from the bush. Dioscorides noted that a weasel, when going out snake-hunting for food, often ate rue first, and from this observation came later experiments using it as a poison antidote. It was the principal ingredient in mithridate, the legendary antidote for all poisons ever concocted, and was the plant given by Mercury to Ulysses to overcome the poisons (both physical and mental) of Circe. Dioscorides also noted another peculiarity of rue: it can raise a nasty inflammation when handled by some people with sensitive skins. So if you wish to grow it, treat it with suitable care.
Rue was much in demand amongst the artisans, craftsmen, sculptors and painters of the Renaissance period as a strengthener of eyesight. A weak tea was brewed from the leaves and taken inwardly, and the eyes were bathed each day with a similar solution. The herb is a very powerful one, so be careful if you wish to follow in the steps of Leonardo and Michelangelo, who both used it, claiming it gave them not only strengthened and improved vision but inner sight and creativity as well.
The seeds germinate slowly, and when finally through the soil they appear to be crawling about all over the seed box with downy little feelers. Sow them in the spring, and trans¬plant when the seedlings are big enough to handle. You should not need gloves at this early stage of their growth.
A border of rue can be very effective, as its greyish-blue foliage makes delicate counterpoint with the true greens more common in the flower garden. For a striking ribbon of colour around formal beds, plant rue all along the edge, santolina (a grey feathery-soft plant with brilliant yellow flower-cushions in spring) inside it, then balance these two with another planting of blue rosemary behind. As a border for a large rose-garden, this tri-coloured hedge can be quite spectacular.
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