Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Family: Rubiaceae · Also called Waldmeister, Master of the Woods, Asperula odorata var. trifida, Asperula odorata, Galium odoratum var. eugeniae
Green & Fresh · Spring bloomer
Sweet woodruff is a dainty woodland ground cover that transforms shaded areas into a carpet of tiny, star-shaped white flowers each May. The real magic, however, is in the scent, when dried, the leaves and flowers release coumarin, the compound responsible for the smell of freshly mown hay and vanilla. This scent intensifies over time, making dried woodruff more fragrant than fresh.
humility, eternal life, spring
In the Victorian language of flowers, sweet woodruff means “Humility and eternal life”. Sweet woodruff is the essential ingredient in Maibowle (May wine), the traditional German spring punch made by steeping the herb in white wine. Medieval Europeans hung bundles in churches and homes as a natural air freshener. The coumarin content means the scent actually improves as the plant dries.
Did You Know?
Sweet woodruff is one of the few plants that smells better dried than fresh. The coumarin responsible for its hay-vanilla scent is only released when cell walls break down. It was traditionally placed in books as a bookmark and moth repellent, centuries-old books sometimes still carry its scent.
Shaded deciduous woodlands on alkaline soils across Europe
Sweet Woodruff is native to Europe, North Africa, Asia. It naturally grows in shaded deciduous woodlands on alkaline soils across europe.
Scent Profile
“A distinctive fresh-hay and vanilla scent (from coumarin) that intensifies as the plant dries, the fragrance of Maibowle and old linen chests.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameGalium odoratum
- FamilyRubiaceae
- Native ToEurope, North Africa, Asia
- Bloom SeasonSpring
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
Sweet woodruff is the essential ingredient in Maibowle (May wine), the traditional German spring punch made by steeping the herb in white wine. Medieval Europeans hung bundles in churches and homes as a natural air freshener. The coumarin content means the scent actually improves as the plant dries.