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Key characteristics

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

Groundcovers

Galium odoratum

Sweet Woodruff

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.

Light

Part shade to full shade

Water

Medium; prefers moist, well-draining soil

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

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.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)