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This is it, in it's shady spot.

This right around the corner and on the other side of the bronze fennel.

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I like Rue too. :) I bought 2 plants the summer before last, and they are now HUGE. They're well over 2 feet tall and wide - like small shrubs. I pruned them back in the spring this year, but I think I'll do that this winter instead of waiting - because there were already lots of BST cats and eggs on it. I saved them all of course, but it would take a lot less time to prune it back if I didn't have to spend all that time looking at every single leaf. Haha. :)

I'm thinking of taking some cuttings and putting more elsewhere in my garden. They're just such a great host plant, and they seem to grow back as fast as the cats eat them! :)

Rue does poorly in shade. It gets really leggy and grows slowly. The plant usually grows in a nice symmetrical mound in full sun. Then again, it doesnt matter to a cat.

Down here in the Deep South, fledgeling, they don't live long in full sun, at least that's been my experience - mine only lived about 2? years in full sun. I planted my two new ones this spring in parts of my garden where they only get a few hours of sun each day, and they're growing real good and looking very healthy - hopefully, they'll live longer than my earlier ones.
MissSherry

Fledgling, most of us in the south grow ours in partial shade, which it seems to prefer in zone 7 and south at least. But, many plants that you can grow in full sun do much better in shade in these zones because of our intense and hot sun. My plants are anything but leggy. This year they aren't growing as fast, and it's because of all the rain we've had; they like it much better on the slightly dry side. I imagine yours would do poorly in shade in your zone 4b. But here they prefer partial shade or they'll burn up. Oklahoma usually never gets this much rain, so it's very unusual for us.

Susan

I love Rue, too! Mine is in a partially shady area as well and has done extremely well. I am constantly cutting it back otherwise it would be a TREE. :P In Southern California, I have to keep it in the partial shade as well.

The pictures are spectacular. Thanks for sharing!

Thats interesting, considering that it is a Mediterranean species from southern Europe and northern Africa. I thought they would perform much better in sunny warmer climates.

I guess it has alot to do with the combination of humidity, soil types(and their drainage), and possibly altitude, along with the temperature.

In the link below everyone says that in the Deep South that rue needs some shade.

What do yall think about drainage for your rue, have yall always planted it in well draining locations? The one in my yard is under a couple big trees so I'm sure the roots keep in pretty drained. I've planted rue in quite a few different areas, in other's yards, and I have noticed that those with best drainage seem to have done the best, and some of these get a little more sun and look the best.

But there is one that gets more sun with not very good drainage that had looked good and even fed several cats, but with this recent rain, some of it's remaining leaves have yellowed.

Anyone with sandy, rocky, and/or alkaline soil grow rue in full sun in zone 7 to 9?

Here is a link that might be useful: Rue discussion

I have clay soil, slightly acidic, and mine is growing in full sun.

Ben Birding how long have you had it in this location?

You're in Arizona? Is it really low humidity and an overall arid region.

I know Sedona, Arizona doesn't seem too arid.

Thanks

Both my rue plants are in raised beds, where they're well drained, even in real wet weather. I've never planted any directly in the ground, so I don't know how it'd perform there.
MissSherry

I have some plants in a raised bed and some in the ground. They seem to do about the same in both locations. Both locations are in partial shade, too. I've grown all of my Rue in part shade since I started growing it about 8 years ago.

Oddly enough, the swallowtails seem to lay eggs on plants in partially shady locations rather than sunny now that I think about it. They fly through the back yard which is surrounded by mature trees. This is where I've seen the BSTs, GSTs, and Tigers; I rarely see them in the full sun front yard. The Tigers like to nectar on my QAL which grows naturally in the part shade and this year, I have tons of it blooming back there.

The tigers hang out in the treetops, because there is an old cottonwood on the neighbor's property just behind me. They seem to prefer flying in the shade of the trees. The pipevines are back there, too (plants and butterflies).

Susan

I'm actually in Arkansas, so I have loads of humidity(Too much). I have had it there for over 2 weeks.

Rue can cause an allergic reaction - sort of like Poison Ivy.

I've never had the problem myself, but for that reason I don't give it to school butterfly gardens.