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Herbs - Australia

Rue

23 years ago

A neighbour of a client recently gave me a cutting of a herb which he couldn't remember the name of. He told me he steeped the leaves in oil and massaged his invalid wife's skin with it prior to her death. He also steeps the leaves in alcohol to make a liqueur/apertif. After I got home and looked in my books I found the cutting was RUE and read the plant is considered poisonous and can cause dermatitis. Does anyone have any info about rue, especially using it as described above?

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Comments (3)

Daisyduckworth
23 years ago
Rue is not poisonous. Infuse the seed with lovage and mint to make a marinade for partridge. The leaves have a bitter taste, but very small amounts can be added to cream cheese, egg and fish dishes. Mix with damson plums and wine for a delicious meat sauce. Medicinally a tea made from the leaves is used to treat nervous headache, dizziness, palpitations, anxiety problems and high blood pressure. Use the tea as an eyewash for tired eyes, and to wash wounds. Traditionally used to bring on suppressed menses. A poultice of fresh leaves alleviates the pain of scorpion bites and jellyfish stings. Avoid use when pregnant. Handling the plant, especially when in bloom, can cause skin irritation. To minimise this risk, wait until the plant has dried out or the sun has gone behind cloud cover: alternatively, wear gloves.

I think it would be dangerous to identify a herb just by comparing a sprig of it with a picture in a book. Actually, I don't think you have rue at all, judging by the fact that the person who gave you the cutting mentioned a liqueur/aperitif. I think you've got Wormwood, from which a liqueur called Absinthe was once made. A substance in the plant causes convulsions, and the liqueur recipe has been altered, and the use of Wormword for this purpose banned in many countries for this reason. Both plants have a greenish-grey foliage, and a small piece of each, compared, may look rather similar to the uninitiated. Both plants have insecticidal properties. Wormwood can inhibit growth of plants nearby, and even a spray of wormwood used as a bug repellent can inhibit the growth of plants on which it is used.

Wormwood is used internally to treat jaundice, depression, gout, kidney stones, and to dispel intestinal worms. Externally for wounds and skin problems. Use internally only under expert supervision and for short periods of time only. Can cause convulsions. Avoid when pregnant.

Both wormwood and rue may cause dermatitis in susceptible people.

Do not use ANY herb for any purpose without being 100% sure of its identity, and this identification should be done by an expert if there is the slightest doubt.
kombi69
Original Author
23 years ago
Thanks Daisy. Definitely rue, has rounded leaf tips, not pointed leaf tips as does wormwood.
I wonder whether the gentleman mistook the rue for wormwood though.
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No, Michelle, meadow rue is a different plant from the type of rue that hosts BSTs and GSTs - the scientific name for GST/BST rue is ruta graveolens. I've only seen it for sale at a nursery once, at Home Depot several years ago - I haven't seen it since, so I had to order mine. MissSherry
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Culinary Uses: Infuse the seed with lovage and mint to make a marinade for partridge. The leaves have a bitter taste but very small amounts can be added to cream cheese, egg and fish dishes. Mix with damson plums and wine for a delicious meat sauce. It goes well with acidic flavours and can be added to pickles. To reduce the bitterness, put a little into a boiling sauce for no more than one minute, then remove. In Italy, rue is used to counteract the 'heaviness' of sauces based on tomato and olive oil. Rue is often a component in the berbere spice mix from Ethiopia. Ethiopian cuisine also utilises rue berries in many sauces and stews. Medicinal Uses: Rue was once an officially recognized treatment for hypertension, diabetes, and allergic reactions. Tea made from the leaves is used to treat nervous headache, griping stomach pains, dizziness, coughs, vertigo, palpitations, anxiety problems and high blood pressure. Use the tea as an eye wash for tired eyes and to wash wounds. the tea is also used to decrease the pain and inflammation of an earache. The juice or oil is placed in the ear to relieve earaches. The leaves are used in poultices and salves to relieve sciatica, gout and rheumatic pains. Traditionally used to bring on suppressed menses. A poultice of fresh leaves alleviates the pain of scorpion bites and jellyfish stings. A strong infusion made by pouring a little boiling water on dried or fresh rue leaves can be dabbed on insect bites to bring relief. Other Uses: Dried flowers are attractive in floral arrangements. Whole plant is reputed to be a deterrent for some dogs and cats. Used to repel beetles and fleas. Good companion plant for fig trees, roses, raspberries but do not plant near basil, cabbage, nuts, sage. Warning: Avoid use when pregnant. Taking the essential oil internally can lead to abortion. Handling the plant, especially when in bloom, can cause skin irritation. To minimise this risk, wait until the plant has dried out or the sun has gone behind cloud cover: alternatively, wear gloves. Large doses may cause vomiting, interfere with the liver function and in rare cases can be fatal. Rue interacts negatively with blood-thinning medications. Ingestion of Rue may prolong blood coagulation time. Do not boil rue. Do not use in large quantities. Do not use for more than 6 weeks at a time. Avoid if suffering from haemorrhagic diseases or peptic ulcers. May cause photosensitivity.
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Around me I've seen it at places that specialize in herbs and in cottage garden type plants, but not at more usual garden centers/nurseries. If you can't find it locally, there are places that specialize in mail order herb plants and/or seeds. For instance, I have heard recommendations for Wellsweep Herb Farm, and they have in their catalogue four types of rue. https://wellsweep.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/WSHF-Catalog-2017.pdf
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jancc
23 years ago
i think you may be mistaken for rhus which is banned in WA. small tree with beautiful red leaves in autumn. we used to grow itin Vic when i was a kid. it is supposed to be toxic

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