Me thinks you'll rue the day you grow this herb in your garden for cutflowers. Many people say they are allergic to this plant -- contact dermatitis.
Here is a little folklore on rue: Mithradates (132 BC-AD 63) launched his rule of Pontus in Asia Minor by doing away with his competitors by poison. In order to prevent suffering the same fate, he took daily quantities of opium, aconite and other poisons to build up a resistance. Rue was the primary ingredient in his antidote formulas. Alas, his secret formula was secret no more when it was found upon his body after being stabbed to death.

Are you sure this is true of meadow rue, Flowerfarmer? I thought it was ruta, not thalictrum acquifolium. I had a terrible burn from brushing against a broken place on a rue plant (of the ruta family), I worked in the sun for several hours and that eveing it looked like a second degree burn. I uprooted it and will not grow it again. Meadow rue is related to columbines. IT is very pretty but it wants a lot of water...more then it gets in my border where it is and the tops wilt.

I don't recall any seed pods that were spectacular. I probably cut it all for bouquets. I think the flowers are charming.

Oops. Sorry. You're absolutely right, LizaLily. I was thinking ruta. I stand corrected.

I still thought the folklore on rue was interesting though.......

This year I brought in one of the seed heads to see how it lasted. It stood up well and just dried in the vase. It's a lovely soft charturse green dried -just as it was fresh. I'll be interested to see how well it holds the color.

RobRoy-

Thanks for the heads up - time to pick my seed heads for this weekend's markets! They are very neat looking.

I think the birds may be enjoying them too - those closest to the lilacs (bird hangout) have been stripped of seeds. It will be interesting to see where seedlings pop up next spring.

Where do you get Meadow Rue? It's starting to sound interesting. Seeds or plugs? and sources.

Thanks,

Susi