Semi-evergreen sub-shrub of the Rutaceae family, selected from the type species originating from the Mediterranean basin and Western Asia. The garden rue naturally grows on rocky slopes, garrigues, and well-drained limestone terrain, in full sun.
This cultivar forms a dense and rounded bush, remarkably compact, reaching 40 to 60 cm in height. Its evergreen foliage, deeply cut into rounded lobes, displays an intensely glaucous blue-gray, much more pronounced than in the wild form; it is precisely this hue, almost metallic in clear weather, that has earned this cultivar its reputation in rock and gravel gardens.
The flowers, bright yellow with slightly fringed petals, are gathered in loose corymbs at the top of the stems; their green and globular carpels, clearly visible at the center of each flower, constitute a particularly distinct detail. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it generally occurs from June to July.
Rue is both a medicinal and toxic plant, used since Antiquity but whose handling can cause skin burns by photosensitization; this property deserves to be noted. It requires well-drained soil, poor to moderately fertile, in full sun; it tolerates drought and limestone. Hardy to about -15°C, it benefits from being lightly pruned in the spring to maintain its compactness.