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Sweet Woodruff (Galium)

Perennial

46 total reviews

  • Aromatic evergreen to semi-evergreen foliage!
  • Clusters of small, white flowers bloom above leaves.
  • Grows quickly, even in the shade.
  • Excellent for steep slopes and beneath trees.
  • Zones 4-9, part sun/shade, 12″ tall x 18″ wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • Low heightHEIGHT
Size: One Quart
Regular price $15.99
Sale price Sale: $15.99 Regular price $16.99 Each
Total: $15.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Galium odoratum, or sweet woodruff, is not a shy garden addition! This ground cover is vigorous, weaving through your garden and suppressing weeds. Delicate white flowers rise above the lush foliage in late spring and summer. Sweet woodruff ground cover is also excellent for spots where other shade ground covers fail. Plant it on steep, shaded banks for erosion control, beneath trees, or around rocks. Aromatic evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves emit a sweet fragrance when crushed. Try drying the leaves and use them in homemade sachets or potpourris! You can also use sweet woodruff as an easy-care ground cover.
Buying landscape plugs? Here is how much area they will cover:
  • 6" spacing of 32 landscape plugs covers 6 sq feet
  • 8" spacing covers 7.5 sq feet
  • 10" spacing covers 11 sq feet
  • 12" spacing covers 16 sq feet

Details

Botanical name: Galium odoratum
Common name: Sweet woodruff, sweet-scented bedstraw, sweet bedstraw
Zone: 4 - 9
Sun exposure: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (< 4 hours sun)
Height x width: 8-10" X 12-18"
Flower color: White
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Spring
Bloom time: Spring
Features: Wet soils, suitable for slopes, rabbit resistant, ground covers, fragrant, deer resistant, cold tolerant, best for beginners
Uses: Alpine gardens, edging, erosion control, ground cover, massing, rain garden, rock garden, slopes, underplanting, waterside, woodland
 

How to Grow

Soil: Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soils.
Light: Part-sun (4-6 hours sun) to shade (< 4 hours sun)
Water: Medium to wet
Spacing: 10 to 18 inches
Fertilizing: Generally unnecessary in average soils.
Winterizing: No specific care is needed.
Maintenance & pruning: Spreads by creeping roots and self-seeding to form an attractive ground cover in moist, shady areas. To maintain control, plants can be mowed with a rotary mower on a high setting or easily pulled. Dig and move clumps in early spring when new growth appears if desired.
groundcover great for suppressing weeds

Ground Covers For Suppressing Weeds

Fight plants with plants and transform your garden into a lush landscape in the process with these ground covers.

Learn more

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.