Rue Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Rue Seeds — Default Title
Rue Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Rue Seeds

Lacy blue-grey evergreen foliage that looks good all year

£2.99

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Description

Key benefits

  • Lacy blue-grey evergreen foliage that looks good all year
  • Mustard-yellow flowers in summer
  • Suits herb and knot gardens, sunny borders and gravel
  • Hardy perennial around 60 cm tall and wide
  • Ornamental only, not a cooking herb

Rue, the old herb of grace, earns its place for its foliage: a low, evergreen mound of lacy, blue-grey leaves that look good all year. In summer Ruta graveolens carries clusters of small, mustard-yellow flowers above that cool, glaucous leaf, and the whole plant has a sharp, bitter scent. It suits a herb or knot garden, the front of a sunny border and gravel, where it contrasts well with lavender and sage. Rue sap makes skin highly sensitive to sunlight and can cause burn-like blisters, so wear gloves and long sleeves when handling it. The plant is toxic if eaten in quantity and is not a cooking herb.

Sowing and growing

  • Sow indoors March to April with gentle warmth (about 20°C), or outdoors April to June
  • Surface sow or cover very lightly, no more than 5 mm; the seed needs light
  • Germination takes 10 to 20 days
  • Full sun, in well-drained, even poor soil
  • Grows to around 60 cm tall and wide
  • Yellow flowers in summer; trim in spring, wearing gloves, to keep it compact
  • A hardy, evergreen perennial subshrub

What you receive: a packet of about 120 seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Browse more seeds for sowing, or find trays and modules for starting seed in our propagation supplies.

How to use
  1. Sow indoors March to April at about 20°C, or outdoors April to June.
  2. Surface sow or cover very lightly, no more than 5 mm, as the seed needs light.
  3. Grow in full sun in well-drained soil.
  4. Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling, as the sap can blister skin in sunlight.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

Hand-packed and sent tracked
14-day returns on unused items
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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is rue safe to touch?

Rue sap contains compounds that react with sunlight on the skin, causing redness and burn-like blisters in many people. Wear gloves and long sleeves when weeding, cutting or harvesting it, and work on a dull day or in the evening. Wash skin straight away if sap gets on it.

Can you eat rue?

Rue is toxic if eaten in quantity and can cause severe stomach upset, so it is grown as an ornamental and aromatic herb rather than for cooking. Keep it away from where children or pets might chew it.

When should I sow rue seeds?

Sow indoors in March and April on a warm, bright windowsill, or outdoors from April to June. Leave the seed uncovered or barely covered, as it needs light to germinate, and plant out after the last frost.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Why Grow Tropicals

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Rue Seeds
£2.99