How to Grow Common Rue? Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Care Essentials

Common rue is a medicinal plant with many benefits, so how do you grow common rue?

1. What is common rue?

Common rue is the whole plant of Ruta graveolens in the family Rutaceae, a medicinal plant, cold in nature, bitter and pungent in taste. It has the functions of dispelling wind, reducing fever, promoting urination, invigorating blood circulation, detoxifying, and reducing swelling. It is used for colds with fever, rheumatic bone pain, infantile convulsions, difficult urination, diarrhea, hernia, traumatic injuries, heat-toxin sores and ulcers, and eczema.

Common rue has a well-developed root system with many lateral roots, and the root bark is pale sulfur-yellow. The plant reaches up to 1 m tall, and all parts have a strong, distinctive odor. The leaves are pinnately compound, gray-green or with a bluish-green tint. The flowers are golden yellow, with a short style, and the ovary has multiple ovules per locule. The fruit peel has raised oil glands; the seeds are very numerous, kidney-shaped, and brown-black. It flowers from March to June and in late winter, and fruits from July to September.

2. How do you grow common rue?

1. Sowing

Sowing is generally done in spring and autumn, using direct seeding, cuttings, or seedling transplanting for propagation.

Direct seeding: open holes and sow at a row-to-plant spacing of 45 m×30 cm, cover with 2-3 cm of soil, press down lightly, and water;

Cuttings: select vigorous 2-4 year old plants, cut semi-lignified branches as cuttings, and insert them into a seedbed during the rainy season. Cuttings taken in spring are transplanted the same year; cuttings taken in autumn are transplanted the following spring. For planting out, spring is suitable in the north and autumn in the south;

Seedling transplanting: in autumn, scatter the seeds on a seedbed, cover with soil just enough to cover the seeds, press down lightly, water, and cover with grass; transplant the following spring.

2. Field management

Carry out weeding, watering, and fertilizing reasonably; irrigate in the dry season and open ditches for drainage in the rainy season.

In addition, when the seedlings are 10-12 cm tall, thin and fill in the seedlings. Each year requires 3-4 rounds of intertillage and weeding, combined with topdressing of human and livestock manure.

3. During the growth period of common rue, pest and disease control is also necessary.

Diseases include root rot; scatter lime in the diseased holes. Among pests, the larvae of the citrus swallowtail damage the leaves; spray with a 800-1000 times dilution of 90% trichlorfon.