FREE: Sweet Woodruff Herb - 20 seeds

The listing, Sweet Woodruff Herb - 20 seeds has ended.

Sweet Woodruff

I love flowers and herbs that establish themselves readily in the garden, but one of my favorites is better suited to the woodland than the formal bed.
The beautiful sweet woodruff, is a shade gardeners delight. Fast growing, quick to establish, beautiful, white spring flowers and attractive foliage through to snow, this treasure is seldom bothered by pest or disease. Its dried foliage has a sweet scent that has been described as a fresh-cut hay and vanilla fragrance, and it is used frequently in potpourri. It even used to be used as the stuffing for the winter mattress!

Don't put this flower in the perennial bed unless you want to spend a good deal of time pulling it up in the spring; it will take over quickly unless confined by pots or tiles buried in the garden soil. However, if you want a beautiful underplanting for your shady shrubs, this is the plant for you. Pair her with hydrangeas or rhododendrons and she will be in heaven.

Sweet woodruff has a long herbal history for use in a variety of ailments, including liver problems and jaundice. A tea made from the leaves was used for stomach aches, and a poultice from the brewed, crushed leaves was applied to wounds to promote healing.

However, it is recommended very cautiously for internal use today. The Food and Drug Administration considers it only safe when taken in an alcoholic beverage, so its traditional use as an herb in May Wine is still okay. Many people flavor a bottle of white Rhine wine with a few of the crushed leaves overnight for a spring treat.

This plant has also long been used as an insect repellent, and it was scattered in sick rooms and root cellars to keep the air smelling sweet. Secure the dried leaves in muslin sacks and place in drawers, closets or the pantry. Or, sprinkle the dried leaves around the outside of windows and doors, and in your cellar.