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...

Providing plants for butterflies to raise their young is a good hobby for those of us with asthma who can't have furry pets around all the time. The Giant Swallowtail butterfly lays one egg on any plant in the Rue family, including citrus trees and Devil's Walkingstick . Her caterpillars are considered pests in citrus groves . But here in zone 7 Oklahoma, they are welcome to eat the Rue plants we grow specifically for them. We planted a Prickly Ash, Toothache Tree or Zanthoxylum americanum, also, but the leaves are 8 feet high and we can't see caterpillar activity up there. Oklahoma Biosurvey provides information on everything flora and fauna in our state. Their butterfly link has selected links to larger, informative sites. The rue plants came from a gentleman in Oklahoma City who gave me two starts that I have been babying for two years. This year they are large enough to attract a single egg and the resulting Orange Dog caterpillar in these photos. Common Rue, Ruta gra...