Plant
Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratumAlso known as Sweet-scented Bedstraw, Wild Baby's Breath
Sweet Woodruff forms low mats of square stems ringed by neat whorls of narrow leaves and small white star-shaped flowers. When wilted or dried, its foliage releases a strong haylike scent produced partly by coumarin.
woodland groundcoverleaf whorlscoumarin scent
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyProduces energy through photosynthesis and spreads through shallow creeping rhizomes
Predators
- slugs
- snails
- leaf-eating insects
ThreatsForest clearing, soil disturbance, drought, heavy trampling, and loss of shaded habitat
HabitatsShaded deciduous woodland, beech forest, hedgebanks, moist slopes, and gardens
Life spanA perennial herb that can persist and spread clonally for many years
Classification
- FamilyRubiaceae
- SpeciesGalium odoratum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Coumarin can cause harmful effects in sufficient amounts; do not ingest unidentified or wild-collected material.
- Why it is dangerous
- Coumarin levels rise as foliage wilts and excessive ingestion can affect the liver and blood clotting.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Confirm the whorled leaves, square stems, and small white flowers rather than relying on scent alone.
- What to do
- Do not taste or prepare wild material, and keep collected cuttings away from children and pets.
Responsible observation
- Identify: Check for rings of narrow leaves around a square low-growing stem.
- Observe: Leave the mat intact while viewing the small four-pointed white flowers.
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