Galium odoratum

Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a low, spreading woodland perennial for shaded sites, forming a soft carpet of fresh green, whorled leaves and bearing small, starry white flowers in late spring to early summer. It’s ideal as ground cover beneath trees and shrubs or along shaded paths, and the foliage is pleasantly aromatic when crushed or dried. Grow in moist but well-drained, humus-rich, moderately fertile soil in partial to full shade; fully hardy in Irish gardens and typically around 30cm tall, spreading gradually to form a neat mat.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Partial shade to full shade

Rate of Growth: Average

Soil: Moist but well-drained, humus-rich, moderately fertile soil

Hardiness: Fully hardy

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Plant at a Glance