GALIUM odoratum G

Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a low, mat-forming perennial for shade, valued for its whorls of fresh green leaves and sprays of small, starry white flowers in late spring to early summer. Excellent as a groundcover under trees or in woodland and shaded borders, it prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil in partial to full shade, and will spread to form a soft, weed-suppressing carpet. Foliage is pleasantly scented when crushed or dried. Eventual height around 30cm, spreading over time.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Partial to full shade

Rate of Growth: Moderate; spreading groundcover

Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well-drained

Hardiness: Fully hardy in Ireland

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Plant at a Glance