Be careful to keep it out of direct sunlight, which can damage sweet woodruff’s pinwheel leaves, and don’t confuse it with its weedy, invasive cousin, the eponymously named “sticky weed” (G. aparine). ADD add to wishlist. It does reseed, but not aggressively. We have it throughout our white shade garden and it's delicate white flowers in early spring form a dense white carpet in keeping with the theme of the garden. Still, it should only be planted in areas where it can be allowed to roam freely. Wildflowers Bedstraws: Range map for Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State. Galium odoratum. They also use it for heart problems, “blood purification,” “weak veins,” and other circulation problems. It has a white bloom and reaches 8 to 12 inches in height (with a slightly greater width). I planted 18 plants in a bed with 3 PJM rhododendrons. Herbaceous perennial. It is also sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in the United States and Canada. In a moist site this spreads steadily to form a thick carpet. Like most herbs, it requires good drainage and slightly acidic soil. Closely related to henna, the plant has a slightly bitter taste and no aroma. In spring, the plants are smothered with white flowers and the foliage has a sweet, haylike fragrance. Woodruff, Sweet. When I was in Germany last year, I discovered that it’s used to flavour all sorts of things, from candy to cordial. Culture and Climate. Sweet woodruff herb should be planted in a shady area. SKU. It is widely cultivated for its flowers and its sweet-smelling foliage. Sweet woodruff, hardy in zones 4 through 8, is easily grown in moist, well-drained soil. This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring. Growth. Sweet woodruff is quick to establish and can be considered invasive as it spreads easily if left unrestrained. Galium odoratum, the sweetscented bedstraw, is a flowering perennial plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to much of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Russia, as well as Western Siberia, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, China and Japan. It grows in USDA Zones 4-8. Sweet woodruff is invasive in some parts of the United States. The plant may die back and go dormant in the summer if located in a spot that is too hot and dry. Often used as a ground cover, Sweet Woodruff herb plants have whorled leaves and small vanilla-scented white flowers in spring. I'm always a bit wary of exotic (non-native) plants that spread aggressively. The Look. Spreading and naturalizing, the foliage fills in to make a loose and … Sweet woodruff, with its whorls of emerald green leaves and white starry flowers, is a welcome sight in late spring, and the foliage is attractive all season long. Trailing-rooting ground covers have trailing stems that spread out from a central root system. This has quickly become one of the most popular groundcovers for shady areas. Cut it back when it exceeds its bounds. In more open conditions it can be a bit invasive but it is easily pulled up and I’ve never found it to be a problem, though there are some negative comments about the … Ajuga spreads very slowly where I have it under some shrubs. Sweet woodruff is an herb. Clinical Overview Use. Germany goes green in the month of May. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine, though medicinal use has tapered off in many countries around the world.. People take sweet woodruff for preventing and treating lung, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and urinary disorders. Sweet Woodruff (Asperula Odorata or Galium Odoratum) - Also known as Our Lady's Lace, this low-growing perennial is versatile and grows well from Sweet Woodruff seeds. Sweet woodruff spreads by runners. Sweet woodruff is an herb. Small, fragrant, 4-petaled, white flowers appear in loose cymes in spring. Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is an herb that spreads via runners and seed, forming a dense green carpet. Sweet woodruff is a sprawling groundcover, developing long stems and whorls of narrow leaves which totally surround the stem. Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum Pros: - Evergreen (at least in zone 6/7) - Beautiful light-green foliage with an interesting whorled shape. If so, the aggressiveness would not bother me nearly as much. I let it sit in jojoba oil for about a week and now the oil is delicately flavored with that dry hay/tobacco/vanilla scent that I associate with lying in the grass at midsummer. Sweet woodruff makes a big statement in the shade garden. I planted sweet woodruff under shrubs last year and am hoping it will spread. Have trailing stems that grow up to 12 '' tall a prolific and ground! 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