Irish wildflowers BSBI map

Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum, Lus moileas
Photographs: Co. Cork

Sweet Woodruff
Galium odoratum
Lus moileas
Family: Rubiaceae

Flowering time: May-June. Perennial. Native.

Loose heads of small white flowers with 4 petals. The leaves are in whorls of 6-9, pointed, narrow and single-veined with a short tip. An erect, hairless, carpeting plant with 4-angled stems that can spread widely by many underground runners. Sweetly aromatic when bruised. To 30cm

Found on calcareous, damp, shady soils, usually in woodland. Scattered distribution but most frequent in northern half of Ireland.

Similar: Wild Madder, Rubia peregrina. Scrambling plant, prickly leaves

Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum, Lus moileas

Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum, Lus moileas
Sweet Woodruff, Galium odoratum, Lus moileas

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