Culinary uses: Sweet woodruff can be used fresh or dried to flavor cakes, cookies, jellies and also drinks, both alcoholic and not. ArachnesWeb9. It is such a pretty little thing that getting in this garden (in a pot) would be well worth while and the bees always loved it. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. The Modern Energy Art Group Has 1,000 Members! The agreeable odour of this sweet Woodruffe is due to a chemical principle named "coumarin," which powerfully affects the brain; and the plant further contains citric, malic, and rubichloric acids, together with some tannic acid. I live in Pennsylvania and have alot of woodruff growing under my deck. Asprula, Asperula odorata, Asprule, Asprule Odorante, Galii Odorati Herba, Galium odoratum, Master of the Wood, Petit Muguet, Reine des Bois, Th Suisse, Waldmeister, Woodruff, Wordward. According to surviving Medieval texts, it was also a popular diuretic, in addition to its use in stimulating the liver. Anyone with circulatory problems or who is using medication for thinning the blood should not use this plant under any conditions, as it may cause internal bleeding when taken in large doses. With an aroma similar to honey, vanilla, and a touch of hay, sweet woodruff has a bitter flavor. Scientific Name(s): Galium odoratum (L.) Scop.Common Name(s): Master of the wood, Sweet woodruff, Waldmeister, Woodruff, Woodward. Leaves are sometimes used for healing wounds. Used both internally and topically, this herb has been taken for symptoms of intestinal discomfort, abdominal cramps, headaches, migraines, and varicose veins. Data sources include IBM Watson Micromedex (updated 2 Apr 2023), Cerner Multum (updated 17 Apr 2023), ASHP (updated 10 Apr 2023) and others. Sweet woodruff grows best in USDA Zones 4-8. An article on rosemary sounds like a great idea. Herbs are the ultimate companion plant. Try it in a container filled with humusy potting mix. My heart pounded for hours into the night, so I only drank it at noon. . For some Christians, the plant honors Mary, as traditional belief holds that sweet woodruff lined Christs manger. It is invasive, and had I not read this informative summary of its beneficial uses, I might have ripped some of it out as a weed! Today they mostly use artificial woodruff flavour in foods. I have too many suspicious holes in my sweaters. Dianethare- I have two articles in the preparation stage. Amazon also carries a number of dried herb packets for tea and brewing. Yes, sweet woodruff is a perennial that returns year after year. "When it is desired," says Mr. Johns, "to preserve the leaves merely for their scent, the stem should be cut through just below and above a joint, and the leaves pressed in such a way as not to destroy their star-like arrangement. Sweet woodruff is an herb. The coumarin glucosides contained in the plant ferment as they dry, producing coumarin and dicumarol, its medicinally active ingredients. Get Your Seasonings in Order: The Best Spice Racks, Spicy Wasabi: A Rare Rhizome with Huge Flavor. Sweet woodruff makes a big statement in the shade garden. Acta Pol.Pharm 1969;26(2):181-185. Surgery: Sweet woodruff contains certain chemicals that might slow blood clotting. It also grows throughout Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. During medieval times, religious leaders would often adorn their churches with the fragrant perennial herb. And Id love to try out woodruff tea! The dried herb is used in sachets, and the extract is used in perfumes and other fragrances.Duke 2003, In traditional medicine it has been used to cure restlessness, insomnia, stomachache, migraine, neuralgia, and bladder stones. Stuart, M. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Sweet woodruff grows as a native wildflower throughout Britain and Ireland. It has nectar/pollen rich flowers. Shipping and taxes calculated at checkout. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182. Are Aloe Plants Toxic to Cats, Dogs, and Other Pets? Bosn.J Basic Med.Sci. I will definitely be drying leaves this year to make some sachets for my woolens and for my wool yarn storage. Heres the skinny on disabling them. Put the fresh cut sweet woodruff flowers in the water right away. I have never head of woodruff. Manual of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada (ed. There is some concern over the toxic potential of the plant's coumarin content;Dobelis 1986 therefore, avoid use during pregnancy and lactation. It has creeping rhizomes and lance-shaped, glossy leaves that form whorls around the stems. Off the top of my head I have 3 uses for it right now, (getting rid of moths, helping my husband sleep, and as a diuretic) Hello and welcome to Petal Republic. It has also become naturalized in the northern US and southern Canada after it was introduced by European colonitsts. //