Sweet Woodruff

Sweet woodruff (*Galium odoratum*) forms a low, fragrant carpet of whorled green leaves beneath trees and shrubs. Small white star-shaped flowers appear in spring, and the spreading rhizomes gradually fill shaded ground. ## Site and Spread Plant it in partial to full shade with moist, well-drained soil; it can survive dry shade, though the foliage is less lush. Plants typically reach 6–12 inches tall and spread about 1–2 feet. Its rhizomes make it useful along woodland edges and beneath larger shrubs, but it can spread vigorously in fertile, moist beds. Leave room for its patch to expand or use a physical edge where it meets slower-growing plants. [University of Wisconsin Extension](https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/sweet-woodruff-galium-odorata/) describes its spread, flowering and shade tolerance; [North Carolina Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/galium-odoratum/common-name/sweet-scented-bed-straw/) confirms the 1–2 foot spread, ground-cover use and fragrant flowers. ## Maintenance Keep new plantings evenly moist while they establish. Divide clumps in spring to renew or relocate a patch, and remove spreading rhizomes at the edge when the groundcover reaches its intended boundary. ## Yavapai County — 2025 source scope and care The [University of Arizona Yavapai County bulletin](https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2025-03/FirewisePlants3-14-2025.pdf), page 2, lists Sweet Woodruff with the botanical cell Galium odoratum and form C. It places this entry in its fire-resistant list. The matched catalog name is Galium odoratum. Source form codes: C=groundcover, G=grass, P=perennial, S=shrub, T=tree and V=vine. Printed names and form codes can include source spelling errors or historical taxonomic treatments; the source wording is retained separately from the catalog name and plant-specific habit. The bulletin states that resistant plants require irrigation and frequent maintenance. It describes low shrubs or clean taller shrubs with little dead material. Maintain suitable moisture and spacing, remove dead growth and avoid continuous fuel; a regional list does not establish every selection's performance or local cold hardiness. No plant is fireproof. Keep this Yavapai classification separate from Arizona UA, Utah, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado and other source ratings and their placement, moisture and maintenance conditions. ## Inland West — source row reconciliation PDF page 18 (printed 16), General list: “Galium odoratum” / “sweet woodruff”. Exact source species or reconciled historical spelling/synonym; unselected record used. ## Inland West — 2005 source scope and care The [University of Idaho Station Bulletin 67, January 2005](https://www.uwyo.edu/barnbackyard/_files/documents/resources/mullenfire/protectinghomeswildfire.pdf) includes this taxon in its plant suggestions. The publication says the list is not exhaustive and no plant is fireproof; pruning, watering, plant condition and landscape arrangement matter more than selection alone. Choose for slope, aspect, hardiness and rainfall, and keep this association separate from numerical Idaho BLM scores and other regional ratings. Its landscape guidance describes a treated landscape extending at least 100 feet from the home, with greater distances on steep or windy sites. Separate tree crowns by 10–15 feet; keep foundation plantings low, well watered and free of dead material, eliminate ladder fuels and use separated planting groups with nonflammable breaks. Maintain irrigation, trim turf and remove dry debris. The same species can behave differently with water stress or accumulated dead growth; verify current local guidance and suitability. ## Pacific Northwest — PNW 590 (2023): Sweet woodruff The [groundcovers-13 profile](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gallery/fire-resistant-plant-profiles-groundcovers) provides this source context. Primary heading: Galium odoratum. Exact source taxon. Source care: Full shade; Moderate water use. The source warns of invasiveness in parts of Washington and Oregon and says to avoid planting where locally listed. Its care context is a creeping-root groundcover for shade. Profile reference data: Height: 6–12 inches; Spread: 8–18 inches; USDA hardiness zones: 4–10; Flowers: white; Bloom time: April-June. These are the publication's profile-level reference values; they are not independent measurements of each named example or a change to this catalog record's scalar fields. Availability of native forms, pollinator use and deer resistance remain source-scope statements, not automatic attribute tags. The [2023 guide](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pnw-590-fire-resistant-plants-home-landscapes) requires healthy, adequately watered plants and removal of dead/spent material. Keep the first 5 feet around the home free of plants; in the 5–30-foot zone separate planting groups by at least 10 feet, farther on slopes. Avoid continuous rows and ladder fuels, and keep tree branches at least 15 feet from the home. Source association is not a laboratory flammability score or a claim of fireproofness. This paragraph identifies 2023 scope; older PNW associations and other regional ratings remain separate.