What is Sweet Woodruff?

Sweet woodruff or Gallium odoratum is a shade-loving plant native to Eurasia and parts of North Africa. Historically, the plant has been used in a number of medicinal and culinary preparations, although most people today grow sweet woodruff as an ornamental plant. Some garden suppliers carry sweet woodruff, and the plant can also be grown from cuttings and shoots, for gardeners who know someone with a patch of sweet woodruff. You may also see the plant growing in the wild, depending on where you live, since it spreads and volunteers readily, even in areas where it is not native. This plant has a distinctive slightly sweet odor which reminds some people of freshly-cut hay, hence the name. It is also sometimes called “wild baby's breath,” referencing the small clusters of white flowers which resemble those of the cultivated plant known as baby's breath, and it is also known as Master of the Woods or simply woodruff. The plant typically grows very well in USDA zones four through eight, ...  more

Ah, thanks for the clarification…I had a hunch we were on the same page. Here’s a bit on sweet woodruff: http://www.sover.net/~garden/Woodruff.html Excellent shade plant, with a nostalgic mown-hay scent that will appeal to anyone who has spent time on a farm. Something that I’ve wanted to grow, but I’ve got too much sun! -- Living on the square...  more