Woodruff |
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| Common Name | Woodruff |
| Scientific Name | Asperula odorata |
| Other names for this plant are Sweet Woodruff, Master of the Woods, Moth-herb, Wood-rose, Woodward, Wood Rova, and Muge-de-bois. The fresh, woodsy odor of woodruff, strongest when the plant begins to die away after flowering, has given it many of its common names. For example, the old French name-muge-de-bois-means "wood musk." German May wines are steeped in woodruff twigs and owe their fine aroma and taste to the chemical coumarin, in which the herb is rich. In medieval times, woodruff was hung in bunches with roses, box, and lavender on the feast days of St. Peter and St. Barnabas. The herb is supposed to repel insects, which is why it is sometimes called moth-herb. Herbalists believe the tea is a good remedy for kidney and bladder troubles (especially obstructions and stones, liver congestion, and gall-bladder difficulties. It is also recommended in cases of dropsy and insomnia. | |
| Plant | Hardy perennial. Its deep green, starry whorls of six to eight shiny, lance-shaped leaves surround the erect stem. The plant sends up leaf whorl after leaf whorl, finally topped with a flat-topped flower cluster of small white star-shaped flowers that bloom in May and June. |
| Height | 8 to 10 inches. |
| Soil | Slightly acid, with high humus content, preferably beech-leaf compost. Moist. |
| Exposure | Shade. |
| Propagation | By seeds planted in fall during the third lunar phase. Germination takes 200 days, but this method is uncertain. Woodruff can also be propagated by division of the creeping root system once the herb has covered an area of 2 square feet. This is more dependable. |
| Care | Space plants 12 inches apart. Weed when necessary. Don't hoe, though, or you'll destroy the spreading root system. Fertilization is unnecessary if the plant is growing in the right soil. |
| Part used for Tea | Dried leaves. |
| Taste | Resembles Darjeeling tea. Mild, sweet, with a woody taste. Good in combination with strawberry. |
| How to Brew | By INFUSION: 1 teaspoon dried leaves in 1 covered cup of boiling water. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain and sweeten to taste with honey. |
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