Galium odoratum

Galium odoratum: Sweet-Scented Stars for Under Trees

Sweet Woodruff is the shy friend who turns out to be the life of the shady corner. Little white stars over whorls of bright green leaves, perfectly happy where the sun refuses to go. THE DEER AND RABBITS CAN'T BE BOTHERED.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Galium odoratum (formerly Asperula odorata)
• Common Name: Sweet Woodruff
• Height: 10–25 cm (4–10 in)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft), spreading further by creeping rhizomes
• Flowers: Small, white, four-petalled stars in loose clusters above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Late spring (May to June)
• Foliage: Bright green, narrow leaves in whorls of six to eight around square stems
• Features: Rabbit resistant, fragrant when dried

Where to Plant: Use it to carpet the ground under trees, along shady paths, or in the gaps between bigger plants. It's one of the few plants that copes with the dry shade under mature trees once it has rooted in, and it suits spots where lawn keeps thinning out. It spreads steadily by underground runners, so give it room or edge it where it meets a lawn or a bed.

Companion Plants: Let sweet woodruff carpet a moist, shady bed under taller plants with bold blue leaves and white plumes. Brunnera 'Sea Heart' opens blue sprays at 30 cm in April and May over silvery leaves. Astilbe 'Cappuccino' adds white plumes over dark leaves at 60 to 75 cm in June and July. Hosta 'Krossa Regal' brings tall, vase-shaped blue leaves at 90 to 95 cm. Hakonechloa 'Aureola' edges the bed at 30 to 46 cm with gold-striped blades.

Plant Care: Plant in part shade to full shade in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Space plants roughly 25–30 cm (10–12 in) apart for a solid carpet. Water regularly through the first season. A layer of leaf mould or compost helps it settle in. Hot afternoon sun and long dry spells can scorch the leaves and send it partly dormant in late summer. It usually bounces back with cooler weather or the next spring. No pruning is needed. Pull or slice out any runners that wander past where you want them. To share it, lift and divide clumps in spring or early fall. Small pieces with a bit of root establish easily.

History: Sweet woodruff is native to woodlands across much of Europe, western Asia and North Africa, and as its leaves dry they develop coumarin, the scent that led people to hang it in houses and tuck it into linens and mattresses. In Germany the fresh sprigs are steeped in white wine to make Maiwein, or May wine, a spring tradition.

Final Thoughts: Tuck it under the trees where nothing else will behave. Dry a sprig for the linen closet and pretend you planned it. SMELLS LIKE YOU HAVE YOUR LIFE TOGETHER.