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!
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 migraine, 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.
