Northwest Blooms · Groundcovers
Galium odoratum
Sweet Woodruff
- Family
- Rubiaceae
- Height
- 6 to 12 inches tall
- Width
- Spreads vigorously via rhizomes to form dense mats
- Flower color
- White
- Foliage color
- Bright green
- Bloom time
- Late spring to early summer
- Light
- Part shade to full shade
- Water
- Medium; prefers moist, well-draining soil
- Maintenance
- Low; can be invasive, so regular trimming or edging to contain growth may be necessary
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- The flowers attract bees and butterflies
About this plant
Galium odoratum, commonly known as sweet woodruff, is a lovely perennial appreciated for its fragrant, lance-shaped leaves and delicate white flowers. Belonging to the Rubiaceae family and native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, it is popular in gardens and landscapes for its sweet fragrance and ground-covering habit. In late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of small, star-shaped white flowers that attract bees and other pollinators.
The plant forms low-growing clumps of whorled, bright green leaves arranged in groups around the stems, and when crushed or dried, the leaves emit a sweet, hay-like fragrance. Sweet woodruff thrives in shaded or partially shaded areas with moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter and is often used as ground cover in woodland gardens, shaded borders, and rock gardens.
Works well in
Woodland Gardens · Under Trees · Borders · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Primroses · Wild ginger · Bergenia · Japanese forest grass · Sweet box · Bugleweed
Design tip
Use this fragrant groundcover to knit together shaded planting areas beneath deciduous trees and larger shrubs. Surround it with bold foliage and upright woodland perennials to create layered compositions that remain attractive even after the spring flowers have faded.
