TopTropicals Plant Catalog

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It is a small evergreen bush with flat bluish-green aromatic leaves and yellow flowers that bloom in late summer. Colorful sepals are long lasting. Rue fragrance is strong, characteristically aromatic and sweet; it cannot be compared with any other spice. The taste is rather bitter, even more so when dried. Rue fruits (berries) taste similar, but stronger and somewhat hot. For use in medicine and food, its leaves and young stems are gathered before rue flowers bloom. In some parts of the world, rue is used as an insect repellent for humans and animals. Sometimes, rue plants are also used as natural pesticides, planted among other bushes such as roses or raspberry brambles to keep away insects and small animals. Ancient Egyptians and early Greeks believed that rue taken orally could improve eyesight and it was once popular among medieval artists, crafters, and writers who needed good vision to perform close work. The juice of fresh rue has been used to relieve toothaches and earaches. In Chinese medicine, rue is used to eliminate intestinal worms. Even though rue has been used historically for these and a number of other serious conditions, such as acute infections, heart conditions, and mental illnesses, no scientific studies currently support any of these uses. It is said to strengthen capillaries when taken in tea. Rue oil is approved, however, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a flavoring agent. As a relative of the citrus fruits, rue oil has a flavor similar to the bitter oil in orange or lemon rinds. Small amounts of it may be used in cosmetics and foods. Fresh rue leaves are sometimes added to mixed salads, used in making pickles, or put into cooked dishes for a bitter taste. In Italy, rue is used to flavor grappa, a type of brandy.

Similar species - Ruta chalepensis.

Pineapple sage grows naturally in oak and pine scrub forests at elevations from 8,000-10,000 ft in Mexico and Guatemala.

Pineapple sage is rarely grown from seed. Tip cuttings taken in spring are easy to start.

The fresh leaves of pineapple sage are used in fruit salads and drinks. Crush a few fragrant leaves into hot or iced tea for a flavorful treat. The delicious flowers add color and flavor to salads and deserts.

An excellent culinary sage in that it rarely blooms, thereby providing an abundance of leaves continuously. Very low growing, dense, compact habit with large, round leaves. Large, aromatic leaves provide flavor in stuffing, sauces and seasoning mixes. It can be used as an ornamental, culinary, and medicinal. Great plant for filling in the herb garden. It spills over the edges of the flowerbeds nicely, but doesnt get lanky or flop like other sages. Nice in Thanksgiving dressing. Thrives in fertile, well-drained locations. Use leaves fresh, or dry and keep in an airtight container. Flowers are lavender-purple. Great bedding or container plant.

Satureja means Savory. Satureja viminea is a very minty savory with great possibilities. The small 1/2 to 1/4 inch oval, glossy, lime green foliage can match any spearmint for potency, and yet it is not saddled with Mint’s aggressive nature. Even though it is frost sensitive it grows quite vigorously in one season and can be moved indoors. It grows well in a pot and survives inside with good light. Legend says that the mint plant grows into a tree only after a great deal of time and care... This plant is used for making a famous Kama Sutra Luxury Mint Tree Bath Gel and Body Wash. This voluptuous cleansing liquid has a dedicated worldwide following of men and women who know bathing's true pleasure potential. The Kama Sutra Mint Tree Bathing Gels are a great way to turn the simple ritual of a bath or shower into a sensual interlude with these indulgent bathing gels. Mint Tree cools and tingles, invigorating the body and lifting the spirit. Satureja viminea is a large shrub or small tree with strongly scented mint leaves. Fragrance is pure and very intence. Very rare plant. Unlike a well-known peppermint herb, this plant has a woody stem and upright growth, though keeps a bushy shape. Can be trained into a small tree. Reaches 6-7 ft in height. Foliage strongly peppermint-scented. Leaf veins etched above. Corolla white, with very faint pinkish tinge, slightly irregular (the lower lobe about twice as large as others).

Evergreen tree, rapidly up to 40 feet tall and 40 feet wide. Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, drooping (often curved) foliage with numerous narrowly lance-shaped leaflets entire or with a few widely spaced teeth, peppery fragrance, green to yellow-green above and below. Flower: Small, flowers with white petals and yellow centers, in loose many branched hanging clusters, appearing in summer. Fruit: Pink to red, round, berry-like, in hanging clusters, ripen in fall and persist through winter, peppery fragrance. All parts of the tree have high oil and essential oil contents that produce a spicy, aromatic scent. The leaves of the Brazilian peppertree have such high oil content that leaf pieces jerk and twist when placed in hot water as the oil is released. The berries, which have a peppery flavor, are used in syrups, vinegar, and beverages in Peru; are added to Chilean wines; and are dried and ground up for a pepper substitute in the tropics. The dried berries have also been used as an adulterant of black pepper in some countries. Virtually all parts of this tropical tree, including its leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, resin, and oleoresin (or balsam) have been used medicinally by indigenous peoples throughout the tropics. Watering Needs: Very little water when established, water every month in summer in Phoenix, do not overwater. Propagation: Fresh seeds in spring, occasionally cuttings in summer.