Galium odoratum
- Origin
- Europe
- Part used
- See detailed notebook
- Tradition
- Traditional ethnobotany
Beneath the light canopy of European beech woods, sweet woodruff carpets the ground with its delicate whorls. When dried, it releases a scent of cut hay and vanilla, recalling the coumarin that characterizes it — it is the plant once found in May wine, that spring custom so dear to the countryside of northern Europe.
Traditional uses
Traditional evening relaxation
Dried sweet woodruff was brewed as a tea for its traditionally reported calming virtues, helping to find peaceful sleep.
Light digestive support
As a light herbal tea, it traditionally helped with slow digestion after heavy meals.
The scent of May wine
Fresh or slightly wilted, it flavored the famous May wine (Maiwein) and various flavored wines, an old custom of Central Europe.
A plant for linens and bedding
Dried, it was tucked into cupboards and straw mattresses for its lasting fragrance and to keep certain insects away.
Before you use it
Contains coumarin, an excess of which can cause headaches and digestive upset; do not exceed short, occasional infusions. Not advised for pregnant or breastfeeding women, for lack of sufficient data. To be avoided in combination with anticoagulant treatments, due to potential interactions. Always use the plant well dried and in moderate amounts: wilting develops the coumarin, but also its risk in excess.
The detailed notebook
- Prepared as a paste or decoction
- Traditional duration of use
- Known contraindications
- Related species and their uses
Where to find it
Partner herbalists — available with the detailed notebook.
Sources
Wikipedia