Galega officinalis
Goat's rue, French lilac, Common goat's rue
- Height × spread
- 1.5m × 0.9m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Summer, Autumn
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This is a charming plant for the herbaceous garden. It makes a good block of blue-green leaflets with lilac flowers held in spikes. These come for a long period in summer. It was, formerly, common in cottage gardens where its seeds were used as poultry feed and the foliage as goat feed and was said to increase the milk yield.
- Flower colour
- Lilac, Purple
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Autumn foliage
- Yellow
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Bell
- Height
- 1.5m
- Spread
- 0.9m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer, Autumn
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Scented garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade
- Soil type
- All types
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Ground cover, Bee attraction
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring-Autumn · Planting
Trim dead flowers to prevent self-seeding
Note on self-seeding: If you do not want this plant to set seed it is necessary to promptly remove the spent flowers as they fade.
It's possible to carefully remove the seed heads, complete with seed, and then place them in areas where you would like new seedlings to grow.
Summer
Summer - early · Outdoors
Feed a general fertiliser
Where plants have moderate needs for nutrients, they can simply be given a general feed, fairly early in the growth season so that the growth has plenty of time to harden off before the cold weather.
Give plants a general boost with the application of a general purpose fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plant, with amounts as directed on the feed label.
Winter
Winter - late · Planting
Remove baby plants
Remove offsets or small plants around the base of the parent plant while it is dormant. The plants should have developed their own root system. Replant them, or grow them on in a pot.