Sweet Woodruff Plants
Herbaceous Perennial Flower, Herb, Ground Cover
Botanical name: Galium odoratum
Family Classification: Rubiaceae Family
(Also known as Bedstraw, Sweet-scented bedstraw)
A delicate, scented woodland ground cover with tiny white blooms and unique umbrella-like foliage. Grows and spreads easily on moist, shady sites, providing perfect cover for bulbs.
Flowers and leaves of the sweet woodruff plant have that beautifully soft sweet scent of newly mown hay.
| KEY POINTS |
|---|
| Sunlight |
| Part shade, Full shade |
| Lifecycle |
| Perennial |
| Bloom time |
| Late spring, Early summer, Mid-summer |
| Height |
| 0.5 to 1 feet |
| Special uses |
| Naturalistic garden |
How To Plant Your Sweet Woodruff Plants
Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation. Sow the seeds in the spring (note that if your are saving the sweet woodruff seeds for the next year, then the current years crop of seed would be fully ripe in July/August, the percentage of seeds to germinate can be increased by exposing the seeds to the cold.
In order to make the most of your sweet woodruff plants into the summer months, keep the soil moist as this will prolong their growth. In hot/dry weather these plants can go dormant or die back, however do not despair as this will rebound with vigour in in the fall.
When looking for something to act as a carpet for your bulbs sweet woodruff plants make an excellent choice. you will want to divide your sweet woodruff plants in spring or fall. When you are dividing small clumps, make sure to keep the roots moist.
Site Characteristics
Note that full sun may cause plants to go dormant in summer and scorch foliage therefore shade is benefical. Sweet woodruff plants enjoy rich soil kept moist but ensure that the soil is not soggy.
These plants can tolerate a wide range of pH from 4.3 to 8.3, however they do prefer slightly acidic soil.
| Sunlight | Part shade/Full shade |
| Soil conditions | pH 4.3 – 8.3 |
| Hardiness zones | 5 to 8 |
Plant Traits
Spreads indefinitely by creeping roots and self-seeding forming a low mat. The leaves are arranged in a pattern similar to umbrella whorls around the stem.
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Ease-of-care | Easy |
| Height | 0.5 to 1 feet |
| Spread | 0.75 to 1.5 feet |
| Bloom time | Late spring Early summer Mid-summer |
| Flower color | |
| Foliage color | Medium green |
| Foliage texture | Medium |
| Shape | Low and trailing
|
Special Considerations
Flowers and leaves of this plant have that beautifully soft sweet scent of newly mown hay. Under optimum conditions sweet woodruff plants can spread rapidly by slender creeping rhizomes and self -seeding, but they do allow other plants to come up through the foliage.
| Special characteristics | Deer resistant Fragrant Aggressive Not native to North America Native to Europe |
| Special uses | Naturalistic garden |
Pests
- No serious problems.
Diseases
No serious problems, though occasional:
- Leaf spot
- Rust
- Mildew
