Sweet Woodruff. Sep 29, 2013 - Explore Ruth Woodruff's board "sweet woodruff", followed by 135 people on Pinterest. Sweet woodruff is not recommended for human or animal consumption. ... Sweet woodruff Galium odoratum. Photo by Blanca Begert. Camas Sun ⩗ ... Eupatorium Joe-Pye Weed Sun/part shade ⩗ Filipendula Meadowsweet Any ⩗ Galium odoratum Sweet Woodruff Part shade/shade Gunnera manicata Gunnera Part shade/shade ⩗ Hemerocallis Daylily Sun ⩗ Sweet woodruff can … The larvae of numerous butterfly and moth species use the plants as a food source. As a preschooler, she lovingly tended a small patch of weeds in her backyard. Spreading and naturalizing, the foliage fills in to make a loose and fragrant groundcover. Liriope Spicata. Customer Reviews Based on 9 reviews Write a review Today, s… Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation. The small, star shaped flowers appear in late spring and also are rabbit resistant. Sweet woodruff (Asperula) Vince (Vinca) Violet (Viola) Wild strawberry (Fragaria) Willow (Salix) Perennial Vines Not Favored by Deer Akebia (Akebia) Bittersweet (Celastrus) Clematis (Clematis) Grape (Vitus) Honeysuckle (Lonicera) Ivy, Boston (Parthenocissus) Silver lace vine (Polygonum) Trumpet creeper (Campsis) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus) Each delicate stem is a stack of tidy little leaves, arrayed out like a wheel. Other qualities to recommend Galium odoratuminclude its sweet scent (coincidentally repellent to deer) and its cloaking effect, which slows evaporation from soil in dry spots. Because of coumarin’s moderate toxicity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans its use as a food additive, however it is specifically cleared for use “in alcoholic beverages only.” 1Other Galiums: Yellow Bedstraw and StickywillyCommonly known species besides Galium odoratum include the yellow-flowered Galium verum, also called yellow bedstraw or lady's bedstraw. Often used as a ground cover, Sweet Woodruff herb plants have whorled leaves and small vanilla-scented white flowers in spring. Enjoy the sweet scent of lily-of-the-valley every spring, as well as its low-care nature. Featured Companies | Meet our editorial team, see our book, and get the inside scoop on upcoming Gardenista events. Native to Europe, northern Africa and northern Asia, the plant is also sometimes called sweetscented bedstraw. Native to Europe and Asia. Sweet Woodruff is adapted to grow in the shade, but it will thrive in full sun as well. Sweet woodruff, or Galium odoratum (formerly classified as Asperula odorata), is a low-maintenance perennial long cultivated in shady gardens. Herbaceous perennial. This plant is also edible and makes a great addition to any herb garden. Galium OdoratumAlthough most kinds of Galium are weedy growers you would not invite into your border, sweet woodruff is beloved by many gardeners for its fragrance and willingness to grow in shady spots. Sweet woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is also known as wild baby’s breath, and master of the woods, and bedstraw. Sweet woodruff is a deer-resistant ground c… Lance-shaped leaves are shiny green and grow in whorls around stems that grow up to 12" tall. Description. It is also an edible plant that is said to taste somewhat of vanilla. It also has some medicinal uses, though as always you should check with a doctor before using any medical herb. Sweet woodruff: Galium odoratum, like catnip, is an aromatic perennial for zones 4 to 8. Gardenista’s members-only directory of landscape architects and garden designers. Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) in bloom in May. We have 200 guides on everything from fences to foxgloves. This European native forms a low mat and readily survives even our coldest winters. The leaves, stems and seeds are all covered with hooked hairs that stick like velcro to animal feathers or fur, or to human clothing, ensuring the plant’s wide dispersal. An often forgotten herb, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) can be a valuable addition to the garden, particularly shade gardens. It is not as lush as when grown with plenty of moisture and more sun. In the spring when it is in bloom, sweet woodruff can reach from 6 to 8 inches in height, but later in the season it is only about 4 inches high. This perennial will quickly suffocate weeds and spread out throughout the garden similar to Japanese Pachysandra. Deer should be discouraged immediately when they first appear. Like most herbs, it requires good drainage and slightly acidic soil. Sweet woodruff is a creeping, mat-forming perennial that is commonly used as a ground cover in shady areas, such as in woodland gardens or beneath dense shade trees. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Davesgarden.com, Think Green: Foliage as an Alternative to Flowers, U.S. Government Printing Office: Food and Drug Administration - Food Additives Permitted For Direct Addition To Food For Human Consumption (21 CFR 172.510). I often recommend sweet woodruff as a choice for those looking to cover steep slopes quickly, or for folks who need a deer-resistant ground cover. Your resource for finding the best storage and home organization solutions for every room in the house. There are several native species of Galium, but G. odoratum is an Old World species, hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Davesgarden.com Terms of Use, Rules, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy. Sweet Woodruff is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Mission | With starry, white flowers and a well-behaved habit of spreading slowly in sheltered, woodland settings, sweet woodruff is a good-natured perennial ground cover for a shade garden. Another member of the family, the annual Galium aparine, is native to Eurasia and North America, where it is found in most Canadian provinces and every U.S. state except Hawaii. Easily divided at almost any time. Media Kit | Sweet woodruff is not shy about vigor. plants have 6 to 8 lance-shaped leaves arranged in a swirl. Copyright © 2007-2020 Remodelista, LLC. Space plants about a foot apart. Further details for Galium odoratum. In medieval times, sweet woodruff was hung or strewn in churches on Whitsunday and Saint Barnabas Day. 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. Toxicity Coumarin, the chemical responsible for the pleasant odor of sweet woodruff, has long been used as a fixative in perfumes, as well as a flavor-enhancing ingredient in tobaccos. Sweet Woodruff is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. In Ireland, where it is widespread, Galium aparine is called robin-run-the-hedge. Back to the top It transforms problem areas into oases! Hint: Make sure it gets enough moisture through the summer months; if not, the leaves will develop brown, tattered edges. Deer damage is usually identified by the torn or jagged appearance of branches or twigs. The one-stop sourcebook for the considered home, guiding readers artfully through the remodeling and design process. Spreading by both underground roots and by self-seeding, it quickly forms a thick mat. Dried leaves were used to stuff mattresses and placed in closets and drawers to keep moths away from clothing or linens. SOURCEBOOK FOR THE CONSIDERED HOME This deer-resistant (poisonous) shade-loving ground cover is a quick spreader. Galium odoratum Description. Tag us using #gardenista. Sweet woodruff can even serve as a kind of living mulch for trees, shrubs and sturdy perennials such as astilbe.InvasivenessWhen planted in a location that suits it, sweet woodruff can become aggressive. It is sometimes confused with Galium triflorum and Galium verum . Sweet woodruff produces delicate white flowers in the spring. Receive the Gardenista newsletter in your inbox daily. The Gardenista editors provide a curated selection of product recommendations for your consideration. (Galium odoratum) A classic woodland plant native to Europe with a light, airy feel. In Britain, Galium verum was used to curdle milk and provide color to Double Gloucestershire cheese. All rights reserved. Young trees and shrubs can suffer permanent damage from deer browsing. 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). Space sweet woodruff 8 to 10 inches apart. It features small-petaled, scented white flowers in late spring and summer, elegantly rising above a lush carpet of fragrant, lance-shaped, soft emerald-green leaves in whorls. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum): This perennial herb is well-known for its mat-forming growth habits. The plant may die back and go dormant in the summer if located in a spot that is too hot and dry.Garden UsesBesides being useful in low light situations, sweet woodruff makes an attractive ground cover and looks right at home in herb and rock gardens. If you’re looking for a perennial ground cover to complement silvery or gray foliage in a shady spot, sweet woodruff should be at the top of your list; for more choices, see our design and growing guides to Lungwort, Coral Bells, and Bugleweed. The square stems hold up six to eight leaves like tiny umbrellas. Sweet woodruff does well in partial to full shade. References: 1 U.S. Government Printing Office: Food and Drug Administration - Food Additives Permitted For Direct Addition To Food For Human Consumption (21 CFR 172.510)Botanical.com: Woodruff, Sweet U.S. Forest Service: Galium Aparine, Read articles about: Ground Covers, Herbs, Perennial Flowers. Dyers have long harvested the plant for the red dye yielded from the roots and yellow dye from the tops of the plant. How To Plant Your Sweet Woodruff Plants. It prefers moist soils, but will survive in dry shade as well. The tiny, white star-shaped blooms, which have a delicious vanilla-like fragrance, appear in mid-spring. Trailing-rooting ground covers have trailing stems that spread out from a central root system. Sweet Woodruff features dainty lightly-scented white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems in mid spring. 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. Luckily, her parents supported her budding horticultural endeavors, and in fact plants are sometimes interchangeably categorized Asperula... Have 200 guides on everything from fences to foxgloves vanilla-scented white flowers in spring,! 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