$4-8avg. price
Groundcover🦌 Deer Resistant
Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Sweet Woodruff is a charming woodland groundcover — whorls of bright green leaves topped with tiny white flowers in spring, with a sweet vanilla-hay fragrance when dried (used to flavor May wine in Germany). It creates a delicate, lacy carpet under trees and in shade gardens. More refined than pachysandra, more forgiving than moss.
Hardiness Zones
4-8
Sunlight
Full Shade
Water Needs
Moderate
Maintenance
Low
Mature Size
6-8 in H × 12-18 in (spreading) W
Growth Rate
Moderate
Bloom Season
Late Spring
Bloom Color
Tiny white star-shaped flowers
Care Guide
Plant in partial to full shade with moist, humus-rich soil. Spreads by underground runners — can be aggressive in ideal conditions. Edge to contain. Mow or trim in late winter to refresh. The dried foliage smells wonderful — use in sachets. Best in cool, moist climates. Can thin out in hot summers.
Landscape Uses
Shade ground coverWoodland gardensUnder treesFragrance gardensErosion control
Best Growing Regions
northeastmidwestmountain
Great Companion Plants
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