Rue

Ruta

Ruta graveolens
A woody-based perennial, reaching up to 4 x 3 feet in size, that is native to southeast Europe ( from Bulgaria south to Greece ).
The grayish foliage is aromatic. The double-pinnate leaves are composed of obovate leaflets up to 0.35 inches wide. The foliage can cause dermatitis if skin is exposed to sunlight.
If seeds are allowed to develop, the foliage will often turn yellow.
The flowers are borne during summmer.
Hardy zones 4 to 9 in full sun on dry, well drained soil. Propagation is from cuttings taken during late summer or seed sown early spring.

* photos taken on July 10 2013 in Ellicott City, MD

* photos taken on Oct 22 2013 in Towson, MD

* photo taken @ U.S. Botanical Garden, Wash., DC on Aug 25 2014

* photos taken on Sep 19 2014 in Towson, MD

* photo taken on Sep 25 2016 near Reisterstown, MD

* photo taken on May 30 2024 in Ellicott City, MD

'Blue Beauty'
Reaches up to 3 x 3 feet, with blue, lacy foliage.

* photo taken on May 27 2017 @ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA

American Umbrella-Leaf

Diphylleia cymosa
A rhizomatous, dense, clumping perennial, reaching up to 3.3 x 3 + feet in height, that is native to woodlands in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the eastern U.S. ( eastern Tennessee, southwest Virginia; south to far northern Georgia and western North Carolina ). It is related to Podophyllum.
The toothed, peltate leaves, up to 22 inches wide, are deep green.
The white, bowl-shaped flowers, up to 0.8 inches wide, are borne on terminal cymes mid to late spring.
They are followed by blue berries, up to 0.6 inches wide.
Hardy zones 4 to 7 in partial to full shade on just about any moist to wet, humus-rich soil. Native to mount

* photos taken by Mark A. Garland @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Diphylleia grayi ( Sakhalin Umbrella-Leaf )
Similar to the above but native to high mountain forests in Sakhalin and northern & central Japan.