Ruta graveolens 

Full Sun

Zone: 4 - 8

Height: 24-36"

Throughout history, Rue has been used for everything from flavoring cheese to driving out evil spirits. Yet, no one use seemed to really catch on. It is a favorite food of several species of the Swallowtail Butterfly, including the Black and Giant Swallowtail. Rue is a small evergreen subshrub or semiwoody perennial 2-3 ft tall and almost as wide. The stems become woody near the base, but remain herbaceous nearer the tips. Small yellow flowers appear in midsummer. Rue usually grows in a compact, rounded mound.