Goat's Rue
Galega officinalis
Galega officinalis, commonly known as galega or goat's-rue, is a herbaceous plant in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to parts of northern Africa, western Asia and Europe, but is widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere. The plant has been extensively cultivated as a forage crop, an ornamental, a bee plant, and as green manure.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
⚠ Safety
Toxic to grazing livestock in quantity; a medicinal herb, not a food or safe fodder.
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water need
- Medium
- Mature height
- 1.2 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 4–8
- Layers
- herb
Functional roles
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
When: Sow spring; divide autumn
Tall nitrogen-fixing perennial with soft lilac flower spikes for bees; can self-seed, so manage it.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.