Sweet Woodruff

Galium odoratum

$29⁹⁹

In Stock
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#1 Container

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Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Highlights

Sweet Woodruff highlights at a glance!

Specifications

Brand

Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name

Galium odoratum
Growing Zones

4 - 9
Mature Height

6 - 12 inches
Mature Spread

6 - 12 inches
Sun Exposure

Full Shade, Partial Shade
Moisture

Moderate
Soil

Widely Adaptable
Growth Rate

Medium
Flower Color

White
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Fragrant

Yes
Pruning Time

Late Autumn
Bloom Period

Early Spring

Growing Zones 4-9

Find Your Growing Zone!

The Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) is an old-world perennial with delicate white, 4-petalled flowers that look wonderful with its dark green foliage! The sweet-smelling leaves are arranged in whorl around the square stem in evenly spaced intervals, with the starry flowers blooming at the top like stars over a green crown!

The dried leaves and flowers are said to have a grassy vanilla odor like fresh grass and can be used for potpourri and insect repellant in your home. In Germany, the flowers are used to flavor young Riesling, called Maiwein (May Wine).

Galium blooms from late spring to early summer throughout USDA planting zones 4 to 9, these are tender perennials that will completely die back to the ground in cold winters but will pop up in mass in the spring!

Landscape Application:

This little perennial grows in woods and on shaded hedge banks and meadow edges in the dappled shade and near a tree canopy. Flowers are set on tender stalks, with narrow, bright-green leaves, and spread by way of underground rhizomes to form polite mats of textured 6 - 12 inch tall carpets of greenery!

Fantastic edging and borders, fill in the sides of a path or walkway, or your driveway with these frilly perennials! Use Sweet Woodruff as a front-of-the-garden border perennial, in a naturalized area, or as a groundcover beneath shrubs and trees.

These shade-loving carpets will spread out to form a dense, lacy mat and choke out weeds, slow erosion on slopes, and make hard-to-mow hillsides shine! Hardy enough for Rock Gardens and airy enough for a pretty Cottage garden, even the Herb garden benefits from these perennials that are steeped in medicinal and culinary applications!

Delicate Small White Flowers
Loves Dappled & Partial Shade
Fragrant Foliage & Flowers - Stronger When Dried
Green Leaves Arranged In Whorls
Groundcover, Edging, Massing, Erosion & Weed-Blocking Carpets

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Galium requires full sun but will tolerate morning shade and moist, well-drained soil. Its deep-green foliage develops best in the half-shade, where the sunlight penetrates with difficulty. More shade is required in warm climates. Galium can spread very rapidly and must be planted in an area where it is able to take over or planted in dry soil with reduced moisture access. Clean the area up in the fall after the foliage dies back and top-dress with a layer of mulch or compost for the winter. Deer seldom bothers these aromatic plants!

Thrives In Part/Half Shade Sites
Well-Drained Soil
Moderate to Low Moisture Once Established
Remove Foliage In Fall
Deer Resistant

Sweet and petite, the Sweet Woodruff perennials are shade-loving ornamental groundcovers that should be included in your garden! Find yours at NatureHills.com!

Correction to first review

Oops, I need to correct something in my first review. I grow sweet woodruff and lemon balm side-by-side in my woods. Sweet woodruff is a great groundcover, and does everything I said in my first review, but it is dubious as a culinary herb - potentially toxic, or so Ive read. Its the lemon balm that makes the great culinary herb. Sorry for the confusion. Please correct my first review.

Dear ediefromoregon,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful update and for clarifying the distinction between sweet woodruff and lemon balm in your woodland garden! We truly appreciate your attention to detail—this kind of insight helps others make safe and informed choices for their own growing spaces.

You’re absolutely right that while sweet woodruff is a lovely, shade-tolerant groundcover with a charming fragrance, it should be used cautiously when it comes to culinary applications due to its coumarin content, which can pose toxicity concerns in larger quantities. Lemon balm, on the other hand, is much loved as a flavorful and safe herb perfect for teas, salads, and more.

For anyone looking to explore these plants further, we suggest using lemon balm in the kitchen while appreciating sweet woodruff mostly for its aesthetic and botanical benefits in shaded garden areas. If you need weaving tips for growing these side-by-side, or if you're interested in herbs with culinary and medicinal benefits that complement either plant, our plant experts are always here to provide personalized guidance.

Thanks again for updating us and helping to keep our gardening community well-informed. Happy growing in your Oregon woods!

Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team

Correction to first review

Dear Ediefromoregon,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful update and for reaching out to clarify your experience with sweet woodruff and lemon balm. We truly appreciate your attention to detail—it helps fellow plant lovers make informed choices! You’re absolutely right that while sweet woodruff makes a lovely groundcover with many uses, its culinary applications can be controversial due to potential toxicity if not used carefully. Lemon balm, on the other hand, is celebrated and safe for delicious culinary uses.

If you ever want, we’d be happy to assist you in highlighting the distinct qualities of each plant on your review to help future gardeners. Also, if you have questions on how best to incorporate lemon balm or safe guidelines regarding sweet woodruff, don't hesitate to ask—we’re here to support your woodland garden adventures.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

multiple use groundcover/herb

I love sweet woodruff, but you really do have to expect it to spread quickly. Its relatively easy to weed out, and I dry my weedings for tea and flavoring for baked goods during the winter months. Mine is growing in bright shade under Douglas fir - notorious for sucking moisture out of the soil - near plants on a drip system. Its holding its own where it can get some supplemental moisture in the summer. Larger perennials can come up through it just fine. Id recommend it for a ground cover under fruit trees in an orchard, or in a woodland setting; especially if the gardener was also into herbs or edible landscaping.

Dear Ediefromoregon,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and detailed experience with Sweet Woodruff! We truly appreciate you taking the time to highlight both its swift spreading nature and its versatility—not many customers mention using the clippings for tea and baked goods, which is such a wonderful, creative way to extend the plant’s value beyond groundcover.

You’ve balanced the typical challenges of growing underneath moisture-hungry Douglas firs with smart supplemental irrigation, and we admire your careful observations on companion planting. Your recommendation to grow Sweet Woodruff in orchards or woodland settings—especially as part of edible landscaping—is insightful and will surely inspire other gardeners looking for a fragrant, low barrier corker that tolerates a bit of shade.

For ongoing care, you might find it helpful to monitor soil moisture throughout the summer more closely, perhaps adding organic mulch to conserve water while also keeping weeds manageable. If you ever want to explore Ephut.”

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multiple use groundcover/herb

Hello ediefromoregon,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful and practical experience with Sweet Woodruff! We truly appreciate how you’ve highlighted its aspects as a rapidly spreading groundcover, as well as its wonderful use in tea and baking—a lovely, creative way to enjoy this plant beyond just its beauty. Your notes about growing it under Douglas fir with supplemental moisture and its compatibility with larger perennials are especially insightful for fellow gardeners with similar conditions.

We agree that Sweet Woodruff lends itself beautifully to shade, woodland settings, or orchard practices, and your recommendation adds valuable real-world perspective to help others envision its potential uses. If you ever want some additional tips on optimizing moisture retention under dry trees, using mulches or adjusting drip emitters, we’d be happy to share more customized advice.

Thanks again for your helpful feedback—we hope your garden under the fir trees thrives with all your nurturing effort and creativity!

Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team

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Sweet Woodruff

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