Grow sweet woodruff in shade, in moist soil that drains, and water it through dry spells so the carpet does not go dormant. Galium odoratum is the botanical name. A tag that says baby's breath is usually Gypsophila, not this plant.
Give it shade and moist soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Part shade to full shade, under trees or shrubs | Do not plant it in hot full sun, which scorches the leaves |
| Soil | Moist ground that still drains, with leaf mold or compost | Do not leave the roots in a puddle |
| Water | Water during dry spells so the foliage stays green | Do not let a sunny, dry bed bake until the stems collapse |
| Size | About 6 to 12 inches tall and 1 to 2 feet wide at first, then a spreading mat | Do not expect a tight clump that stays in one spot |
| Winter | Tops die back in a cold winter and return in early spring | Do not dig the patch out because the leaves disappeared |
| Kind | Whorls of six to eight narrow leaves on square stems, with a hay scent when crushed or dried | Do not buy a cloud of baby's breath or a winter daphne shrub |
sweet woodruff is a shade carpet with lance leaves in rings around the stem. Give it dappled or deep shade and soil that stays moist without sitting wet. [1] Hot sun browns the foliage, and a dry summer can send the plant dormant until cooler weather returns. [2] It will grow under a black walnut. Dried leaves smell like new hay; fresh stems have little scent until you crush them.
How do you grow sweet woodruff?
Give it shade and moist soil that drains, and water it in dry spells. Full sun and a baked bed send it dormant.
Does sweet woodruff like sun or shade?
Part shade to full shade. A few hours of morning light are fine. Midday sun in heat scorches the leaves.
Does sweet woodruff come back every year?
Yes. In a cold winter the tops die back, then new shoots return in early spring. In a hot, dry summer it may rest and green up again when the weather cools.
Mow it high, or spade the edge, if the carpet runs
In moist, rich soil the rhizomes run, and seed drops after the white flowers fade. A tidy patch becomes a problem when those runners cross a path. [3] Stems snap if you yank them, and the root stays in the ground. Loosen the soil, lift the runner, and set a path or a yearly spade line where you want the carpet to stop.
- After the spring flowers fade, mow the patch with the deck set high, or shear the spent stems, so less seed drops. [4]
- Once a year, drive a spade straight down around the bed edge and lift any runners that crossed the line, roots and all.
- Loosen the soil before you pull, because the stems break and leave the rhizome behind.
- Plant it where a path, a wall, or dry shade already stops the run, not next to a weak neighbor you cannot defend.
Does sweet woodruff spread quickly?
Yes in moist, rich shade. In heavier clay it is slower. Spade the edge each year, and do not yank the stems.
How invasive is sweet woodruff?
It can take a moist, fertile bed. It is easier to live with under trees, along a path, or behind a spade line. Pulling without the root does not stop it.
Not baby's breath — and not winter daphne
Baby's breath in a vase is Gypsophila, a sun plant with a cloud of tiny flowers — see How to Grow Baby's Breath. Sweet woodruff is a low shade mat with leaves in whorls. False baby's breath is another Galium, a taller weed, not this shop plant. Winter daphne is a shrub, Daphne odora, whose name collides with this species — see How to Grow Daphne. Cleavers is a sticky annual Galium. Pachysandra, periwinkle, lily of the valley, and Lamium 'White Nancy' are other shade carpets — see How to Grow Pachysandra, How to Grow Periwinkle, How to Grow Lily of the Valley, and How to Grow Lamium.
Is sweet woodruff baby's breath?
No. Baby's breath is Gypsophila. Sweet woodruff is a shade carpet with whorled leaves and a hay scent when dried.
Is sweet woodruff the same as daphne?
No. Winter daphne is a shrub. Sweet woodruff is a low groundcover. The similar Latin names are the mix-up.
If the carpet thins in July, water the shade and check that the bed is not baking in afternoon sun.
FAQ
Can I grow sweet woodruff in a pot indoors?
It can live for a season in a wide outdoor pot that drains and stays in shade. It is not a houseplant for a warm, dry room.
Can I eat it or make May wine?
Dried leaves have a hay scent, and large amounts can thin the blood. Grow it as a groundcover, and skip kitchen recipes.
Are the leaves poisonous to pets?
Large amounts have a blood-thinning effect. Keep pets from grazing the patch, and do not treat dried sprigs as a treat.
Is White Nancy a sweet woodruff?
No. White Nancy is a Lamium. Read the tag for Galium odoratum.
What are the pros and cons of growing sweet woodruff?
It covers dry shade other plants refuse, and it smells like hay when dried. In rich, moist soil it runs, so you need a path or a spade line.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/galium-odoratum/ - [2] Cornell Home Gardening -
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scenea6bc.html - [3] Wisconsin Horticulture -
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sweet-woodruff-galium-odorata/ - [4] Missouri Botanical Garden -
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c820
This note is part of Galium Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors