Galium odoratum - SWEET WOODRUFF

Easy to grow groundcover for half shade/shade and drier shade garden. Great companion to larger-leaved perennials like Brunnera, Heuchera, Helleborus or Hosta.

Can spread aggressively in rich, moist loam!

This gorgeous, reliable perennial is a perfect ground cover for moist, shady conditions. The bright green, simple, lanceolate foliage smells of freshly-mown straw or hay when damaged, and the small, white, 4-petaled flowers appear in late spring through early summer. The fruits that follow are small burrs that catch on clothing and animal fur, allowing the plant to spread. Sweet Woodruff may self-seed quite aggressively in ideal conditions.

The smell is due to the presence of the aromatic chemical compound coumarin, which is an anticoagulant. The scent increases when the plant is dried, and the leaves can be used in wine, tea, potpourri, and dried arrangements; they are used commercially to create fragrance for perfumes.

Although it is known to be toxic when consumed in large quantities, traditional uses of G. odoratum include stimulating the appetite, as a cleaning agent, in poultices to promote the healing of wounds, in treatments for cardiac arrythmia, to clear the liver of obstructions, and as flavoring in many products such as beer, cheese, jam, and tobacco.

Perfect as a ground cover, or for an edible/herbal garden, shade garden, woodland or woodland edge garden, rock garden or path, naturalizing, informal or cottage gardens, and planting under shrubs or trees (competes well with roots).

Tolerates deep shade and black walnut trees, and is generally pest- and disease-free. Also known as Sweet-Scented Bedstraw.

Blooming Time: April - May, possibly into June
Size: 6 - 12" tall x 9 - 12" wide
USDA Zones: 4 to 8
Culture: partial, dappled to full shade; average, well-drained soils. Avoid wet soils. Usually very well behaved plant in average or drier soils, but can be aggressive spreader in moist and rich soil
Moisture Needs: average (moderate to moderate-dry) to wet
Origin: native to north Africa and a large portion of Europe, naturalized irregularly across the United States as well as in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec (USDA distribution map)
Deer/Rabbit Resistant: yes / yes
Attracts Butterflies or Pollinators: yes / yes
Attracts Hummingbirds: no
Pot Size: square 3.5" x 4" deep perennial pot
Plant Combinations: looks the best if combined with larger leaves of Alchemilla, larger-leaved forms of Ajuga, Anemone hupehensis (Japanese Anemone hybrids), Brunnera, Epimedium, Helleborus, Heuchera, possibly with more robust Trilliums or Mertensia. But goes well with Astilbe (on slightly moist soil), shorter Aruncus hybrids, Dicentra, Phlox carolina hybrids, Phlox divaricata, Primula, smaller shrubs and grasses like Hakonechloa or Carex Sedges) or with ferns.

Picture Copyright: US Perennials nursery