Is sweet woodruff a ground cover?
Sweet woodruff is a shade-loving, low-growing ground cover. Source: Leo Reynolds Galium odoratum (common name: sweet woodruff) is a plant commonly used as a ground cover in the desolate parts of the yard where some plants can’t grow.
Are there any problems with sweet woodruff?
Furthermore, sweet woodruff typically has no serious issues with diseases or pests. Sweet woodruff grows well in full shade to partial shade, particularly when it is planted under trees.
Does Woodruff need sun or shade?
Furthermore, sweet woodruff typically has no serious issues with diseases or pests. Sweet woodruff grows well in full shade to partial shade, particularly when it is planted under trees. Full sun, especially when it's at its brightest in the middle of summer, can scorch the leaves.
Is sweet woodruff deer resistant?
Sweet woodruff is exceptionally easy to grow and readily adapts to a wide range for soil and moisture conditions. It is a deer-resistant plant and is considered one of the few rabbit-proof flowers . Sweet woodruff grows prolifically when planted in average, well-drained soil with medium to wet moisture.
What is a sweet woodruff?
How to propagate sweet woodruff?
Is sweet woodruff good for a slope?
Can sweet woodruff be planted in full sun?
Does sweet woodruff like dry soil?
Does woodruff go dormant?
Is sweet woodruff evergreen?
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About this website
Is sweet woodruff cold hardy?
Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a creeping, mat-forming perennial that is commonly used as a groundcover in shady areas....How to Grow and Care for Sweet Woodruff.Common NameSweet woodruff, woodruff, wild baby's breath, bedstraw, sweet-scented bedstrawBloom TimeSpringFlower ColorWhiteHardiness Zones4-9 (USDA)8 more rows
Does sweet woodruff stay green all year?
Maintaining a patch of sweet woodruff When planted in the (ahem) proper conditions, sweet woodruff will remain green throughout the growing season. It does sometimes go dormant during an especially hot summer. The plant grows to be about six to eight inches (15 to 20 cm) tall and spreads about 12 inches (30 cm).
Will sweet woodruff grow back?
Sweet woodruff will die back and go dormant in hot, dry conditions, but it will grow back when cooler weather arrives.
Do you cut back sweet woodruff in the fall?
Foliage is attractive throughout the season. The foliage of Sweet Woodruff dies back to the ground in late autumn. The dried foliage is very fine and can simply be raked away in the late fall or early spring.
What is killing my sweet woodruff?
It's caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which is the source of an array of cankers, rots and diseases. Web blight develops in hot, humid weather.
Is sweet woodruff annual or perennial?
perennialSweet woodruff, Galium odorata. Galium odorata, a spreading perennial with charming early spring blooms and a delicate fragrance, is known by several common names including sweet woodruff, bedstraw, and others. It was formerly placed in the genus Asperula in the family Rubiaceae.
How do you take care of sweet woodruff?
Sweet woodruff herb should be planted in a shady area. They like moist but well draining soil that is rich in organic material from things like decomposing leaves and branches, but will also grow in dry soils. They grow in USDA Zones 4-8. Sweet woodruff spreads by runners.
Can I mow sweet woodruff?
When planted in a location that suits it, sweet woodruff can become aggressive. Because the plant's roots are shallow, it is fairly easy to yank out what you don't want. You can even mow it with the blades set high.
What goes well with sweet woodruff?
Pairing sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and hosta (Hosta spp.) gives you an almost perfect match.
Will sweet woodruff grow under pine trees?
Spreading by runners, Sweet Woodruff makes a beautiful ground cover around the base of pine trees. Their leaves also give off a sweet scent, making them quite pleasant to sniff. Once planted, there is minimal work on your part that has to be done.
How far apart should you plant sweet woodruff?
Plant the divisions about 12 inches apart and keep them well-watered until they have become established. You can direct sow seeds in our garden in the spring or late summer. Barely cover them with soil and keep them watered until they germinate.
Is sweet woodruff toxic?
Sweet woodruff is LIKELY SAFE in when consumed in amounts normally found in food. It is POSSIBLY SAFE when used in medicinal amounts, short-term. Sweet woodruff can cause headaches, dizziness, blackouts, and possibly liver damage when used long-term or in large amounts.
What goes well with sweet woodruff?
Pairing sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and hosta (Hosta spp.) gives you an almost perfect match.
How far apart should you plant sweet woodruff?
Plant the divisions about 12 inches apart and keep them well-watered until they have become established. You can direct sow seeds in our garden in the spring or late summer. Barely cover them with soil and keep them watered until they germinate.
What does sweet woodruff smell like?
Closely related to henna, the plant has a slightly bitter taste and no aroma. In contrast, when wilted or crushed, woodruff releases a sweet, pleasant odor reminiscent of fresh hay.
How do I get rid of sweet woodruff?
You need to break off the roots to stop them from spreading. To do this, drive a garden spade or shovel deep into the ground to break the roots and remove them. You don't need to worry about removing stems and leaves—that's free compost! Sweet woodruff can grow pretty tall for a yard.
Quick Care Guide
Sweet woodruff is a shade-loving, low-growing ground cover. Source: Leo Reynolds
All About Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum (common name: sweet woodruff) is a plant commonly used as a ground cover in the desolate parts of the yard where some plants can’t grow. Growing it underneath trees is common because the tree roots deter competition from growing, and the branches and leaves can hog all the sunlight.
Planting Sweet Woodruff
Planting sweet woodruff is fairly easy, and once planted, it’ll stick around in your garden for a while. You can easily find seed packets online, but your local garden center may have plant starts in early spring.
Care
Sweet woodruff is only picky about sunlight and water, so they’re pretty easy to care for as long as you remember to limit their sun and give them their water. If you live in an area where it frequently rains, growing them won’t require much effort.
Troubleshooting
Sweet woodruff is mostly easy to grow and has very few insect and disease problems. Here are a few of the issues you might come across and what to do about them.
What is sweet woodruff?
Sweet woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is a creeping, mat-forming perennial that is commonly used as a ground cover in shady areas . It bears pretty clusters of white, star-shaped flowers in the spring and has very fragrant, lance-shaped, dark green leaves.
How does sweet woodruff spread?
Sweet woodruff grows prolifically when planted in average, well-drained soil with medium to wet moisture. It quickly spreads by creeping roots and self-seeding and can end up becoming too aggressive in some gardens if the conditions are ideal. Controlling the plant might require periodic mowing with a lawnmower set at a high blade height.
Can sweet woodruff grow in shade?
While sweet woodruff grows most vigorously in damp to wet soil conditions, it also tolerates dry shade . To prevent it from spreading too invasively, only water the plant in times of prolonged drought.
Does sweet woodruff go dormant?
But in very hot temperatures, sweet woodruff might go temporarily dormant, though it readily returns once conditions moderate.
Do you feed sweet woodruff?
Sweet woodruff generally requires no feeding. But a new plant might benefit from an all-purpose fertilizer to help it get started, especially if soil conditions are poor.
Does woodruff need water?
It is generally a suitable ground cover for dry shade, and even full-blown drought rarely kills the plant. Furthermore, sweet woodruff typically has no serious issues with diseases or pests.
Can sweet woodruff be planted under a black walnut tree?
They also are one of the plants that grow well under pine trees where many plants fail to thrive due to soil acidity. And they will even grow under a black walnut tree, despite the toxic chemical, juglone, that is emitted by this tree.
Putting Sweet Woodruff to bed in the winter?
I'm not familiar with growing groundcover. I've googled 'how to care for Sweet Woodruff?' but did not find info as to how to prepare it for the winter and how to wake it in the spring.
Comments (8)
I don't do much of anything with it. My Sweet Woodruff, originally planted in 2002, is grown in a crowded area that I call my "Woodland" garden under a dense and very wide Coralburst crabapple tree. They are planted with large hostas, many minor bulbs, epimediums, trilliums, ferns, toad lilies, etc.
How tall does Sweet Woodruff grow?
Sweet woodruff forms a dense groundcover, growing on a creeping rhizome. The squarish stems grow about 40cm (6-12”) tall. The bright green, narrow, rough textured leaves are arranged in whorls around the stems. The foliage dies back to the ground in most winters in the Midwest and reappears early in spring.
Where is woodruff native to?
It was formerly placed in the genus Asperula in the family Rubiaceae. Native to northern and central Europe and North Africa, it was traditionally used as an herbal remedy for numerous ailments. The palmate leaves of sweet woodruff are arranged in whorls around the squarish stems.
What is the name of the perennial that blooms in spring?
Galium odorata. Written by susan.mahr. Sweet woodruff, Galium odorata. Galium odorata, a spreading perennial with charming early spring blooms and a delicate fragrance, is known by several common names including sweet woodruff, bedstraw, and others. It was formerly placed in the genus Asperula in the family Rubiaceae.
What do white flowers look like in spring?
In spring tiny white blossoms cover the top of the plants. The tubular, star-shaped flowers are borne in small terminal inflorescences held above the foliage.
Can deer eat G. odorata?
It is not favored by deer. Use G. odorata in a woodland garden or on woodland edges, as a ground cover in dappled shade, or under shrubs or even in the dry shade under pines. It looks great mixed with hostas, bleeding heart ( Dicentra spp.) and columbine ( Aquilegia sp.).
Is a sycamore invasive?
It spreads readily in ideal conditions, to the point of being considered invasive. Although shallow rooted, it can be difficult to eliminate once established as the fragile stems often break off (leaving the root behind) when pulled unless the soil is very loose.
Can sweet woodruff grow under walnut trees?
It is not susceptible to juglone, so will do just fine under walnut trees. Sweet woodruff in full bloom. Sweet woodruff does well in partial to full shade. It prefers moist soils, but will survive in dry shade as well. It is not as lush as when grown with plenty of moisture and more sun.
Where did sweet woodruff come from?
Origin: Sweet woodruff is a small herbaceous perennial found in shady or humid environments throughout temperate Eurasia from Spain and Ireland to Japan, and also Algeria. It has sometimes escaped from culture in the United States and Canada, although only very locally.
How to dry woodruff?
So, dry it rapidly. To do so, tie stems it into small bunches and hang them upside down indoors in a dark, cool, dry spot with good air circulation so they can dry without delay.
How many stems does a sweet woodruff plant have?
Photo: littleprinceplants.com. Since every stem already has a root system and even a small pot of sweet woodruff will normally have at least six or seven stems, you already have enough plants to start a little colony!
What is the name of the plant that grows in the woods?
As for the origin of its numerous common names, woodruff refers to the plant’s habit of growing in woodlands as well as its whorls of leaves that look rather like ruffs (pleated collars). As for bedstraw, the dried leaves (straw) were once used to stuff pillows and mattresses (beds) where they offered not often comfort and a pleasant scent, but were believed to repel lice and bedbugs.
Is woodruff good in Zone 2?
Many otherwise serious gardening sites suggest USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8, yet it seems perfectly fine in zone 2 ( AgCan Zone 3). In fact, it seems to need a cool to cold winter to thrive and won’t be happy in outside of temperate regions. Sweet woodruff easily and quickly fills the spaces between stones and pavers.
Is sweet woodruff easy to grow?
Sweet woodruff is attractive, fast-growing and so easy to grow … and that’s only the beginning! Photo: vanberkumnurserycom
Is sweet woodruff a good green carpet?
Even without flowers, the sweet woodruff makes a very attractive green carpet. littleprinceplants.com. The plant makes a very dense and very even groundcover … and a very attractive one, too. In fact, you really have to grow this plant en masse to appreciate its appearance: even without flowers, a carpet of sweet woodruffs is absolutely charming.
What is a sweet woodruff?
Answer: Sweet woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is a delicate, green ground cover that produces small, white, hay-scented blooms in the spring. This plant makes a particularly good ground cover because it only reaches 1 foot in height and spreads quickly, but usually not aggressively.
How to propagate sweet woodruff?
Sweet woodruff is easy to propagate or relocate by simply lifting a section of the plant, severing it with a shovel and moving the clump to a new location. Because the roots are only a few inches deep, you'll find the plant lifts out of the soil like a carpet.
Is sweet woodruff good for a slope?
The foliage is quite lovely, and the roots grow outward, forming a dense mat of growth over the soil. 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.
Can sweet woodruff be planted in full sun?
For this reason, sweet woodruff is a ground cover I primarily suggest for full- to part-shade conditions. Avoid planting it in full sun, if possible.
Does sweet woodruff like dry soil?
Secondly, though sweet woodruff tolerates damp soil, it does not like dry conditions. During hot, dry summers, such as the one we've had this year, the plant often turns crispy, shifts into dormancy, and dies back to the ground. Full sun will scorch the foliage and cause the plants to go into dormancy even more quickly.
Does woodruff go dormant?
Sweet woodruff will die back and go dormant in hot, dry conditions, but it will grow back when cooler weather arrives.
Is sweet woodruff evergreen?
But unfortunately, as you've discovered, there are a few downsides to growing this plant. First, unlike pachysandra, sweet woodruff is not evergreen. Though it generally spreads faster than pachysandra or myrtle, this ground cover dies all the way back to the ground each autumn.
