Woodruff

It has many names and has long been popular as a herb and medicinal plant in cooking and medicine: the fragrant bedstraw (Galium odoratum). Many people only know the woodruff from sherbat powder and jelly, or as an ingredient in the famous May wine. But the spicy herb was used in a large number of products in olden times. For a long time the woodruff had a prominent position in medicinal plants in folk medicine. The shrub is characterized by its wide distribution, easy processing and a wide range of applications. Because of its strong side effects, especially if the dosage is incorrect, woodruff has only recently been used in small doses.

The woodruff, widespread in the temperate climate, is one of the cleaver’s herbs (Galium) from the red family (Rubiaceae). It grows mainly in the cool forest regions of Europe and Asia, preferably in beech forests, where it covers large open areas and is about 5.90 to 23.62 inches wide and 7.87 to 11.81 inches high. It grows compactly and forms loose, floor-covering carpets. The root excretions displace the weeds around the planting area.

The leaves of the woodruff are narrow, elliptical and stand in whorls around the stems. They sprout early and have a fresh green color that they keep for a long time. The leaves are fragrant, and when dry they feel like paper.

Woodruff blooms between April and June in small, white, star-shaped flower umbels, depending on the location. The plant is mainly pollinated by bees and some leaf and bedstraw species.

The Woodruff's fruits ripen in midsummer from June to September. The 0.07 to 0.11 inches small round partial fruits are provided with long bristles, which attaches to fur, clothing and plumage as Velcro fruits. In this way, the seeds of the woodruff are spread over long distances.

Woodruff is - as the name suggests - a forest plant. It loves lime-rich, humus-rich, loose soil and partially shaded to fully shaded places under trees. If you want to grow woodruff in the garden or on the balcony, you should also choose the location in the shade and water the plant generously. The substrate should be loose, well drained and rich in nutrients. Woodruff is fully winter-hardy.

If you want to raise woodruff via seeds, you have to sow the cold germinatorin winter. Sow in shallow bowls with potting soil or herb soil and place the container outdoors, protected from rain and snow. The soil must be kept evenly moist until germination. In spring you can prick out the plants in small pots and later plant them on the spot. No-till sowing is less time-consuming, but only works if the soil is weed-free.

Young woodruff plants that you have sown itself or that you have grown in the herb nursery can be planted out in spring. In the right location, the plant reproduces itself through its fine rhizomes and forms large carpets over the years. Especially in the garden this can lead to an unwanted spread of the frost-hardy plant, so you should always keep an eye on the woodruff! The woodruff should be watered regularly on hot days. Woodruff is harvested right before or during flowering in early summer. Cut off the stems above the ground, rinse the plant briefly, pat dry and use either fresh or dried. The plant grows slowly in fall. Then a protective layer of leaves can be piled over it during the winter months.

In the garden, the half-height woodruff shrub is mainly used in the herb garden and for planting borders. Woodruff is also an ideal groundcover for shady, humus-rich garden areas under trees and bushes. Once planted, the shrub spreads by itself with its thin, underground rhizomes. It should not be missing in natural gardens, because it is an important forage plant for the caterpillars of various moths.

If you want to propagate woodruff specifically, you can divide older plants in spring or fall. To do this, you cut off several plants and their roots with a hand shovel.

The forest plant is extremely robust and has practically no natural enemies. If the growth is poor, the location and soil quality should be checked.