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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a non-native perennial that grows as a ground cover in partial to full shade. It reaches 6-12 inches in height.
Sweet woodruff can be identified by its leaves that grow in whorls of 6-9 on a square stem. Small white flowers with four petals grow in clusters at the top of the plant in early summer. The plant has a scent of freshly cut hay, due to the presence of coumarin. The scent is intensified upon drying.
Sweet woodruff can be dried and used to give dishes a vanilla-like flavor. Dried leaves should be stripped from their bitter stems before using. The dried leaves can be used to flavor wine, beer, ice cream, or panna cotta. It can also be turned into a simple syrup or a vanilla extract substitute.
The dried plant has also been used to stuff mattresses and can be added to sachets to give clothing a fresh scent.
The plant can be turned into a tea which has been used medicinally to treat insomnia, improve digestion, and reduce inflammation.
Sweet woodruff should be consumed in moderation due to the presence of coumarin which could cause liver damage in high doses.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.
