Sweet Woodruff

 

A largely unsung variety of ground cover (at least in this country), sweet woodruff is one of my favorite herbs.  We have this perennial growing in several places in our yard.

I love the swirling leaves, the tiny white flowers, its quick  spreading ability, and the full coverage it provides anywhere shady.  Plus, it has medicinal properties, and offers a long lasting sweet fragrance when dried. 

In Europe, where it began,  it is used in pot-pourri and as a moth deterrent. In Germany, they use it to flavour May wine,  beer,  sausages, and jelly.  It is also used as an  herbal tea with gentle sedative properties, and to treat liver ailments.  In large quantities, it can be toxic though, so use carefully.

Sweet Woodruff is an attractive and durable ground cover for shaded areas. It grows anywhere from 6-15 inches tall.   The small-petaled white flowers appear in May and June.   It can be found growing on it's own in the woodlands, which is where we harvested some of ours.  My Uncle Jack has acreage that he generously shares plants from. We've also gotten some ferns from him.

For optimal fragrance, harvest the leaves of sweet woodruff right after the plants bloom. The harvested branches can simply be tied in bunches and hung in a warm, dark place to dry and enjoy. 

Happy gardening♥

 

unch together several stems and tie securely with spring to form bunches. Hang these bunches either in the kitchen or your airing cupboard and leave to dry until the leaves are crumbly. They look pretty and will give your house the aroma of freshly-grown hay. Indeed, the distinctive flavour of woodruff intensifies as the plant dries. When dry, separately harvest the flowers and crumble up the leaves. Store in separate jars, label and keep aside until needed to flavour your dishes. Mixed with other herbs, sweet woodruff also makes an excellent ingredient for pot pouris and scented pillow stuffings.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-dried-sweet-woodruff
Copyright © celtnet

Bunch together several stems and tie securely with spring to form bunches. Hang these bunches either in the kitchen or your airing cupboard and leave to dry until the leaves are crumbly. They look pretty and will give your house the aroma of freshly-grown hay. Indeed, the distinctive flavour of woodruff intensifies as the plant dries. When dry, separately harvest the flowers and crumble up the leaves. Store in separate jars, label and keep aside until needed to flavour your dishes. Mixed with other herbs, sweet woodruff also makes an excellent ingredient for pot pouris and scented pillow stuffings.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-dried-sweet-woodruff
Copyright © celtnet

Bunch together several stems and tie securely with spring to form bunches. Hang these bunches either in the kitchen or your airing cupboard and leave to dry until the leaves are crumbly. They look pretty and will give your house the aroma of freshly-grown hay. Indeed, the distinctive flavour of woodruff intensifies as the plant dries. When dry, separately harvest the flowers and crumble up the leaves. Store in separate jars, label and keep aside until needed to flavour your dishes. Mixed with other herbs, sweet woodruff also makes an excellent ingredient for pot pouris and scented pillow stuffings.

Read more at Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-dried-sweet-woodruff
Copyright © celtnet