Botanical atlas
Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Sweet woodruff has been treasured in European folk life for centuries, most famously as the herb that flavors Maibowle, the German May wine drunk to welcome spring. Long before that, households strewed the dried herb across floors and tucked it into linen chests and pillows, prizing the fresh-cut hay scent that only appears once the leaves begin to wilt. In old countryside herbalism, a light tea was traditionally sipped in the evening for its gentle, settling quality, and to ease a restless stomach after a heavy meal. It grew easily at the edges of forests, so it was as much a familiar dooryard plant as a gathered one.
In tradition.
Sweet woodruff has been treasured in European folk life for centuries, most famously as the herb that flavors Maibowle, the German May wine drunk to welcome spring. Long before that, households strewed the dried herb across floors and tucked it into linen chests and pillows, prizing the fresh-cut hay scent that only appears once the leaves begin to wilt. In old countryside herbalism, a light tea was traditionally sipped in the evening for its gentle, settling quality, and to ease a restless stomach after a heavy meal. It grew easily at the edges of forests, so it was as much a familiar dooryard plant as a gathered one.
Traditional preparations.
A gentle, lightly sweet infusion traditionally taken in the evening in small amounts.
Traditionally, a small pinch, about half a teaspoon, of dried sweet woodruff is steeped in 250 ml of just-boiled water for 3 to 5 minutes, then strained.
Safety.
Sweet woodruff contains coumarin, which in large amounts can strain the liver and may intensify blood thinners like warfarin, so it's used only lightly and briefly, not as a daily tea.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies sweet woodruff from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
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Ask about Sweet WoodruffHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.