What does one do with rue?

Q & A
1

There is a rue plant in our herb garden that was there when we bought our place. Each year it grows, flowers and dies back in winter. I have never used it. Online information suggests that the plant is an irritant, but may be used in cooking in small quantities. Does anyone on the Forum grow rue? If so, what do you do with it?

2

Hi Lynda:

I don’t have a practical suggestion, but it brings to mind this rather sad poem:

A. E. Housman (1859–1936). from A Shropshire Lad. 1896.

With Rue My Heart is Laden

WITH rue my heart is laden
For golden friends I had,
For many a rose-lipt maiden
And many a lightfoot lad.

By brooks too broad for leaping
The lightfoot boys are laid;
The rose-lipt girls are sleeping
In fields where roses fade.

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3

Rue reminds me of this traditional piece of music by one of my favourite bands, The Pentangle.

Come all you fair and tender girls
That flourish in your prime
Beware, beware, keep your garden fair
Let no man steal your thyme,
Let no man steal your thyme.

For when your thyme is past and gone
He’ll care no more for you
And in the place where your thyme was waste
He’ll spread all o’er with rue,
He’ll spread all o’er with rue.

A woman is a branchy tree
And man’s a clinging vine
And from her branches carelessly
He’ll take what he can find
He’ll take what he can find.

Come all you fair and tender girls
Who flourish in your prime
Beware, beware, keep your garden fair
Let no man steal your thyme,
Let no man steal your thyme.

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4

Thanks to both Kim and Elizabeth for the wonderful poem and song! And now I shall go away and ponder my rue…

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5

I have heard rue will deter cats from the garden. Never tried it and no idea how many plants you would need to put in for the deterrent factor to actually work. And according to Mrs. Grieve’s A Modern Herbal,
an application of several bruised leaves will ease the pain of sciatica; fresh leaves pressed to the temple will ease a headache; a compress that has been saturated with a strong decoction is beneficial in treating chronic bronchitis.

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6

Well, I definitely have the right afflictions for the use of rue - cats, sciatica and migraines! Likely, all that I will end up with are rashes in odd places on my body.

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