All the Dirt on Gardening

Of all the pollinator-friendly plants we grow, Rue or Ruta graveolens, is probably the most popular with insects.   Rue is a medicinal and culinary herb by reputation, but if you want all manner of pollinators from tiny bees to large butterflies, it is a plant you want. The blue-green leaves have a unique citrus-herb scent and are eaten by butterfly caterpillars. Ruta graveolens is not meadow rue or goat’s rue, nor is it native. It is a member of the Citrus family from Europe.  Pliny the Elder mixed rue with poisonous Oleander as an antidote to snake bites and the oil was used to induce abortions.   Its Herb of Grace name came from it being used in Holy Water in Catholic services. Victorians sprinkled it on the floor of courtrooms to prevent the spread of Jail Fever. If you have ever sampled Grappa brandy such as Poli Ruta, you have had Rue. It’s that bitter taste that led to the saying, “You will Rue the day”. meaning an experience that leave...

Giant Swallowtail butterfly Giant Swallowtail butterflies are amazingly large and beautiful but have sort of ugly children. They are intentionally ugly of course, disguising themselves as bird droppings in order to keep from being eaten by said birds. If you plant it they will come. In order to have these gorgeous animals in your flower beds you have to provide either citrus trees or Rue plants. Rue shrub planted for Giant Swallowtails to raise their babies. Rue is cold hardy here and in our gardens the shrubs live 3 to 5 years before they die to be replaced by the seedlings that surround the mature plants. At Johnny's Seeds , 200 seed pack is under $4 and if you plant a bunch of them you'll have plenty of shrubs that survive winter to feed next summer's migration of Giant Swallowtail Butterflies. Giant Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar Dianne's Seeds offers 100 seeds for $2.25 In previous years, I've noticed Black Swallowtail caterpi...

Giant Swallowtail butterflies are a thrill. We don't get a lot of them and I watch for their appearance every fall when they come to nectar and lay eggs on the Rue plants.  Called Orange Dogs in citrus growing areas because their caterpillars eat Rue to the stems. According to the U of FL , " Its range extends from southern New England across the northern Great Lakes states, into Ontario, through the southern portions of the Central Plains to the Rocky Mountains. The species ranges southward to Florida and the Caribbean, into the southwestern United States, and on through Mexico to Central and South America." Two Giant Swallowtails in flight The caterpillars go through five skins but each one looks like bird droppings of one kind or another.  It's one of those things: If you grow the host plant and avoid all chemical sprays and applications, you will get an opportunity to enjoy these gorgeous creatures in your garden or patio. Rue has beautifu...

In the garden yesterday, two Giant Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillars appeared on the Ruta graveolens. These plants were started from seed several years ago  and have grown to over 3 feet tall. This is the ground under one of the plants. Those little Rue plants number about 50 and we have been giving them away by the dozens in order to provide more food for Giant Swallowtails. This is an adult - photo from the Entomomlogy Dept., Univ. of FL. Click over to their link under the photo to learn more about this gorgeous winged wonder of our gardens. Giant Swallowtail  Papilio cresphontes

We plant natives, nectar flowers and larva food, put out over ripe fruit and Gatorade, create mud spots for adult males, leave weedy places and leaf litter in place, avoid pesticides and herbicides where possible. Swallowtail with chewed wing But, we cannot protect every butterfly from every predator.     Butterfly egg on milkweed We dig and overwinter tropical milkweed so it is in place as soon as the weather warms enough for Monarch migration in the spring .    Swallowtail caterpillar on Rue Each year we increase the number of Rue plants. They are biennial so you'll lose some each year. Seed starting is an annual event now. Onion bag netting on Rue with caterpillar underneath When caterpillars become visible, I top the plant with netting saved from bulb shipments, onion bags, etc. Orb spider with Swallowtail caterpillar Sadly we cannot prevent all predation. Even spiders gotta eat.   Butterfly caterpilla...

Common Rue, Ruta graveolens, is not grown in our area very often because its native environment is warmer and it can be fussy about surviving an unusually cold winter. Rue gets special treatment in our garden is because it is the only plant we grow that is used by Giant Swallowtail butterflies to raise their caterpillars. Rue’s poisonous leaves make the caterpillars taste bitter to predators so they are left alone. Giant Swallowtail in our garden last summer The expression, you will rue the day came from the plant’s less desirable characteristic of causing rashes and blisters on some people. Families with young children and gardeners with sensitive skin should avoid all parts of Rue plants. Greek, Mediterranean and Chinese cooking use Rue as a culinary herb. It provides the bitter flavor in grappa con ruta and in Ethiopia it is added to coffee. The Chinese add it to mung bean soup. Historically, Rue was used as a medicinal herb. It was taken daily in small doses to prevent ...

It is a thrill to see the results of our changed gardening practices. Do you know what this is on the rue (Ruta graveolens)? Proven Winners Heliotrope is one of the best butterfly nectar plants a gardener can have. Checkerspot is my guess. This is a 3 year old bulbing fennel plant. Everyone I tell that we grow it for the butterfly caterpillars says, "I like to eat it." Well, we eat plenty of it, too. What's this one? Want to guess what's on the Phlox? There is a lot more about raising butterflies at http://www.butterflynature.com/raising-butterflies.html http://www.thebutterflysite.com/oklahoma-butterflies.shtml http://www.butterflynature.com/gallery.html http://www.butterflygarden.co.uk/b_id_gallery/brown.htm http://en.butterflycorner.net/Agraulis-vanillae-Gulf-Fritillary-Vanillefalter.870.0.html - enjoy and join in the fun.