What does Galium odoratum look like?
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.
Is Galium odoratum deer resistant?
It is a deer-resistant plant and is considered one of the few rabbit-proof flowers . Botanical Name. Galium odoratum. Common Name. Sweet woodruff, woodruff, wild baby's breath, bedstraw, sweet-scented bedstraw. Plant Type. Perennial herb. Mature Size. 6 to 12 inches tall with a spread of 9 to 18 inches.
How do I Mow Galium odoratum?
Where restraint becomes necessary, plants can be mowed with a rotary mower on a high setting. On the other hand, plants may go dormant by mid-summer if improperly grown in dry, sunny locations. Galium odoratum, commonly called sweet woodruff, is a mat-forming perennial that is most often grown as a ground cover in shady areas.
What is sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)?
David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way. Sweet woodruff ( Galium odoratum) is a creeping, mat-forming perennial that is commonly used as a ground cover in shady areas.
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Is sweet woodruff invasive?
Sweet woodruff is exceptionally easy to grow and readily adapts to a wide range of soil and moisture conditions. It is a deer-resistant plant and is considered one of the few rabbit-proof flowers. This plant spreads easily and can become invasive, so plant it where you can keep it under control.
How far will sweet woodruff spread?
Maintaining a patch of sweet woodruff The plant grows to be about six to eight inches (15 to 20 cm) tall and spreads about 12 inches (30 cm). Plants form a pretty thick carpet of foliage that is reasonably easy to manage if you keep on top of it. However, it does like to spread when it's happy in its environment.
Does sweet woodruff spread fast?
Sweet woodruff spreads by runners. In moist soil, it can spread very quickly and can become invasive in the right conditions. It is often recommended that you plant sweet woodruff ground cover in an area that you would not mind seeing naturalized by sweet woodruff.
Is sweet woodruff a native plant?
Sweet-scented bedstraw (aka sweet woodruff) is native to Europe and north Africa. This mat-forming plant produces whorls of 6 to 8 fragrant leaves, which smell of new-mown hay.
Is sweet woodruff good for erosion control?
The Sweet Woodruff Galium is a groundcover with tiny, white, star-shaped flowers and green leaves. Use it to naturalize your landscape or to help control erosion.
Should you cut back sweet woodruff?
Harvesting Sweet Woodruff The best time to harvest woodruff for scent is after the plant is done flowering but before fruiting. Most of sweet woodruff's scent is concentrated in the leaves of the plant. So, enjoy the pretty flowers, then cut back the stems when all the flowers are gone.
Does sweet woodruff stay green in winter?
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.
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.
What goes well with sweet woodruff?
Pairing sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and hosta (Hosta spp.) gives you an almost perfect match.
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 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.
Is Galium odoratum evergreen?
Woodruff is an evergreen shade plant which will tolerate even the driest, deepest shade. Bright sun will scorch the leaves although dappled shade is still suitable. The tiny white flowers look very delicate against the bright green foliage.
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.
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.
Does sweet woodruff like sun or shade?
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. Space plants about a foot apart.
Where is Galium odorata native to?from hort.extension.wisc.edu
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 ...
How big is a Galium odoratum?from thespruce.com
Galium odoratum. Common Name. Sweet woodruff, woodruff, wild baby's breath, bedstraw, sweet-scented bedstraw. Plant Type. Perennial herb. Mature Size. 6 to 12 inches tall with a spread of 9 to 18 inches.
What is a galium?from missouribotanicalgarden.org
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.#N#Genus name comes from the Greek word gala meaning milk. G. vernus can be used to curdle milk for making cheese.#N#Specific epithet means fragrant.
How to propagate G. odorata?from hort.extension.wisc.edu
G. odorata is most easily propagated by division in spring. Clumps can also be dug and moved throughout the growing season if they are kept moist until established. Cuttings can be taken from mature plants after flowering and rooted in a mixture of peat moss and perlite, but this requires much more effort than division. This species can be grown from seed – and may readily self-seed – but it tends to be slow to germinate when sown in the spring. Cold stratification and leafmold in the soil help speed germination. It is best sown in place as soon as the seed is ripe in late summer.
Can deer eat G. odorata?from hort.extension.wisc.edu
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.).
What is the scent of odoratum?
As the epithet odoratum suggests, the plant is strongly scented, the sweet scent being derived from coumarin. This scent increases on wilting and then persists on drying, and the dried plant is used in potpourri and as a moth deterrent. It was, and partially is, used to flavour May wine (called "Maibowle" or "Maitrank" in German), sweet juice punch, syrup for beer ( Berliner Weisse ), brandy, jelly, jam, a soft drink ( Tarhun, which is Georgian), ice cream, and herbal tea. Also very popular are sweet woodruff flavoured jellies, with and without alcohol. In Germany, it was also used to flavour sherbet powder, which features prominently in Günter Grass ' novel The Tin Drum.#N#However, the usage of the plant for sweets was prohibited in Germany in 1974, due to the plant's low level toxicity, which increases upon drying, and is particularly problematic for children, due to their lower body mass. The toxicity stems from the presence of coumarin, which can create sickness, headaches, and damage the liver when ingested in greater quantities. The flavor is still popular for sweets in Germany, but is achieved artificially with other flavoring agents. Products targeted towards adults, such as alcoholic drinks, are still permitted to include coumarin, in limited quantities.
When was the use of sweets banned in Germany?
However, the usage of the plant for sweets was prohibited in Germany in 1974, due to the plant's low level toxicity, which increases upon drying, and is particularly problematic for children, due to their lower body mass.
How to propagate G. odorata?
G. odorata is most easily propagated by division in spring. Clumps can also be dug and moved throughout the growing season if they are kept moist until established. Cuttings can be taken from mature plants after flowering and rooted in a mixture of peat moss and perlite, but this requires much more effort than division. This species can be grown from seed – and may readily self-seed – but it tends to be slow to germinate when sown in the spring. Cold stratification and leafmold in the soil help speed germination. It is best sown in place as soon as the seed is ripe in late summer.
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 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.).
How big is a Galium odoratum?
Galium odoratum. Common Name. Sweet woodruff, woodruff, wild baby's breath, bedstraw, sweet-scented bedstraw. Plant Type. Perennial herb. Mature Size. 6 to 12 inches tall with a spread of 9 to 18 inches.
Does sweet woodruff go dormant?
But in very hot temperatures, sweet woodruff might go temporarily dormant, though it readily returns once conditions moderate.
Is sweet woodruff invasive?
I planted a small flat after the second year I moved patches to help fill in the side. It has spread some but not to the point of being invasive. Now that it is established I rarely water it and it can tolerate light foot traffic. It is surrounding taller plant and acts like a living mulch.
Is Galium odoratum invasive?
Invasiveness of this plant may depend on variety. I LOVE mine and it spreads, but is certainly not invasive in my z7 area. It's very delicate, so it doesn't overwhelm anything, even if it grows around it. I have had some invasive weeds that look like sweet woodruff and may be a wild variety, but are lankier and much harder to control. Be sure you're getting the Galium odoratum and that it's from a reliable source.
