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Herbaceous Perennial Flower,
Herb,
Ground Cover
Also known as Bedstraw, Sweet-scented bedstraw
Galium odoratum
Rubiaceae Family
A delicate, scented woodland groundcover with tiny white blooms and unique umbrella-like foliage. Grows and spreads easily on moist, shady sites.
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Site Characteristics
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Sunlight:
Full sun may cause plants to go dormant in summer and scorch foliage.
Soil conditions:
- tolerates acid soil
- requires well-drained soil
- tolerates damp soil
Prefers rich soil kept moist but not soggy. Tolerates wide range of pH from 4.3 to 8.3, but prefers slightly acid soil.
Hardiness zones:
Some sources report hardy to Zone 4 and even Zone 3.
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Plant Traits
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Lifecycle:
perennial
Ease-of-care:
easy
Height:
0.5 to 1 feet
Spread:
0.75 to 1.5 feet
Spreads indefinitely by creeping roots and self-seeding to form a low mat.
Bloom time:
- late spring
- early summer
- mid-summer
Flower color:
white
Foliage color:
medium green
Leaves are arranged in umbrella-like whorls around the stem.
Foliage texture:
medium
Shape:
- low and trailing
- spreading mass
Shape in flower:
same as above
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Special Considerations
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Special characteristics:
- deer resistant
- aggressive
- Under optimum conditions spreads rapidly by slender creeping rhizomes and self-seeding, but other plants can come up through the foliage.
- non-invasive
- not native to North America
- Native to Europe
- fragrant
- Flowers and leaves have a sweet scent of newly mown hay.
Special uses:
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Growing Information
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How to plant:
Propagate by
seed,
cuttings,
division or separation
- If saving seed for next year, current year's seed should be fully ripe in July or August. Stratify seeds (expose to cold) to increase germination percent. Sow in spring. Make softwood cuttings in the spring. Divide in spring or fall. When dividing small clumps, keep roots moist.
Maintenance and care:
Keep soil moist to prolong growth into summer. Often goes dormant or dies back in hot, dry weather, but rebounds with a flush of growth in fall. As a ground cover, makes an excellent carpeting for bulbs.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials
Pests:
No serious problems.
Diseases:
No serious problems, though occasional:Leaf spot
Rust
Mildew
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