Sweet Woodruff

$0.00

Galium odoratum

  • Whorled nice green foliage and fragrant delicately small white flowers

  • Vigorous ground cover for moist locations

  • Tolerates dry locations well

Maintenance:

‍ ‍Remove spent foliage as desired. May look tired in late August but will bounce back the following spring.

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Spreads by both creeping roots and self-seeding to form an attractive ground cover in moist, shady areas.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Galium odoratum, commonly called sweet woodruff, is a mat-forming perennial that is most often grown as a ground cover in shady areas. Plants typically grow 8-12" tall and feature fragrant, lance-shaped, dark green leaves in whorls of 6-8 along square stems. Small, fragrant, 4-petaled, white flowers appear in loose cymes in spring. Plants emit a strong odor of freshly mown hay when foliage is crushed or cut. Aromatic intensity of the foliage increases when dried, thus dried leaves are popularly used in sachets or potpourris. Plants have also been used commercially in perfumes. Leaves are sometimes used to flavor teas and cold fruit drinks. Leaves are also used to make May wine, a punch made from white wine flavored with woodruff, orange and pineapple. Woodruff comes from Old English meaning wood that unravels, in probable reference to the creeping rootstock of the plant.

Genus name comes from the Greek word gala meaning milk. G. vernus can be used to curdle milk for making cheese.

Specific epithet means fragrant.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.

Galium odoratum

  • Whorled nice green foliage and fragrant delicately small white flowers

  • Vigorous ground cover for moist locations

  • Tolerates dry locations well

Maintenance:

‍ ‍Remove spent foliage as desired. May look tired in late August but will bounce back the following spring.

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Spreads by both creeping roots and self-seeding to form an attractive ground cover in moist, shady areas.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Galium odoratum, commonly called sweet woodruff, is a mat-forming perennial that is most often grown as a ground cover in shady areas. Plants typically grow 8-12" tall and feature fragrant, lance-shaped, dark green leaves in whorls of 6-8 along square stems. Small, fragrant, 4-petaled, white flowers appear in loose cymes in spring. Plants emit a strong odor of freshly mown hay when foliage is crushed or cut. Aromatic intensity of the foliage increases when dried, thus dried leaves are popularly used in sachets or potpourris. Plants have also been used commercially in perfumes. Leaves are sometimes used to flavor teas and cold fruit drinks. Leaves are also used to make May wine, a punch made from white wine flavored with woodruff, orange and pineapple. Woodruff comes from Old English meaning wood that unravels, in probable reference to the creeping rootstock of the plant.

Genus name comes from the Greek word gala meaning milk. G. vernus can be used to curdle milk for making cheese.

Specific epithet means fragrant.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems.