Stem

  • Up to 2 ft. tall; highly branched and bushy
African Rue
African Rue

Leaves

  • Alternate, bright green and deeply divided; leaflets strap-like (linear), narrow, 0.75-2 in. long, fleshy, lack hair (glabrous) and have smooth edges (margins)
African rue African Rue 

 

Flower

  • 5 white petals surround a yellow center; 1 in. diameter; occur at leaf axils along stems
  • 5 strap-like, fleshy, green sepals (0.5 in. long) that resemble leaves that are found below flower
  • Seed pod is a small (less than 0.5 in. diameter), round capsule with 2-4 chambers; can be green orange or brown.
African rue flower
Close-up of African Rue flower

Root

  • Woody, branched taproot with short, creeping roots
African Rue
Adult plant

 

Other

  • Grows best in dry, disturbed sites; often infests roadsides, waste areas, washes and desert areas; known to occur in Churchill, Mineral, Washoe, and White Pine counties.
  • Perennial; reproduces by both seeds and roots
  • All plant parts poisonous to livestock and humans
 

Control

  • Repeatedly dig or pull individual plants; remaining roots can produce new plants
  • Apply glyphosate, imazapyr or metsulfuron to actively growing plants
Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – African rue, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch
Heidi Kratsch
 

Also of Interest:

 
Field Bindweed - An Attractive Nuisance, and Worse
A pretty plant may still be a weed, and field bindweed is a clear example. This attractive relation of morning glory can invade a landscape, interfering with the growth of desired plants both above and below ground. This fact sheet gives information on avoiding and treating field...
 O'Callaghan, A. and Robinson, M. L. 2020, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
closeup of ryegrass
Can We Use Cover Crops in Nevada?
Recognizing success may require a shift in perspective - from focusing solely on yield and annual profit to valuing soil health, water use efficiency, and sustainability.
 G. McCuin, J.K. Solomon, J. Frey 2025, University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Blog posts
screenshot of iNaturalist app
How to Identify Pests Using Your Phone
When dealing with a pest problem, one of the first challenges is figuring out exactly what you’re up against. Many mobile apps and online tools allow you to take or upload a photo to get possible identifications.
 Jensen, C.; Johnson, J. 2025, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Blog
purslane
"The Good Weed Series: Purslane (Portulaca oleraceav), Desert Gardening in Southern Nevada, Blog Posts 21-01
The Master Gardener Volunteers of Southern Nevada provides horticultural information on gardens, landscapes, plants and other related topics. This blog post is one of many resources of information available to the public to help accomplish this mission.
 Deever, D. 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno
Nevada’s Priority Agricultural Weeds: Russian Knapweed
Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens) is a non-native perennial forb (wild flower) that arrived in the United States in the late 1890s. This weed is well adapted, growing in damp to poorly drained soils with high salinity and/or alkalinity.
 B. Schultz, S. Foster 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, SP-21-02
 

Associated Programs

master gardener team sitting on tractor

Master Gardeners of Washoe County

Master Gardeners provide free, research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Master Gardeners at tabling event

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Garden plant and pest sprayers image by Olga Seifutdinova from Getty Images

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.