Sweet Woodruff
Sweet Woodruff
scientific name:
Galium odoratum
plant type:
perennial
plant use:
border plant
container gardening
ground cover
rock garden
urban landscape
garden style:
cottage
woodland
flower color:
white
foliage color:
green
flowers:
in spring
water:
moderate
width:
6-12 inches
height:
6-12 inches
light:
part sun / shade
shade
maintenance:
low
growth habit:
low and spreading
soil:
clay
sandy
loamy
special features:
deer resistant
fragrant
naturalizes
erosion control
herb
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happy planting.
Garden-pedia
Plant terms can be confusing. If you find yourself a bit perplexed, the glossary below may help. If I have missed any, please let me know.
Happy Planting!
Acidic Soil | Soil with a pH of less than 7 |
Alkaline Soil | Soil with a pH of greater than 7 |
Amendment | Any material, such as compost or lime, that is mixed with existing soil to improve properties |
Annual | Plant that completes its lifecycle in one growing season, then dies |
Basal Foliage | Leaves found near the base of the stem |
Biennial | Plant that completes its lifecylce in two growing seasons, then dies |
Border | A garden, usually containing a variety of plants, that is backed by walls, fences, or taller plants, such as, trees or shrubs |
Compost | Organic material used as a soil amendment |
Crown | Area on a plant where the stem meets the root, generally found at soil level |
Cultivar | Refers to a group of plants within a species that has slightly different characteristics, such as, flower color or size |
Deadheading | Removal of old, spent/dead flowers, may promote reblooming |
Deciduous | Refers to trees and shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, usually in the fall |
Division | The process of splitting up plants, commonly performed on perennials |
en masse | Planting masses of the same plant to create a bold statement |
Evergreen | Plants that retain their foliage for more than one growing season |
Fertilizer | Organic or inorganic material added to the soil to encourage plant growth |
Groundcover | A plant that spreads to cover the soil surface |
Growth Rate | Slow: 3-6" per year, Moderate: 6-12" per year, Fast: 12-24+ per year |
Habit | General form or shape of a plant |
Hardiness Zone | Zones that provide guidelines to measure a plants ability to tolerate hot and cold temperatures |
Herbaceous | Non-woody plant that dies back to the ground every year |
Invasive Plant | A plant that spreads rapidly and may take over a garden bed |
Loam | Soil that is a mixture of clay, sand and silt |
Mass Planting | A planting where large numbers of the same plant are used to provide visual interest |
Native Plant | A plant that naturally occurs in a certain area |
Node (leaf node) | a joint on a plant stem |
Perennial | Plant that survives for 3 or more growing seasons |
Pinching | A technique used to promote fuller or shorter plants, often resulting in more flower heads |
Rhizome | an underground stem |
Semi-evergreen | Plants that fall between evergreen and deciduous in terms of growth and leaf retention. Some examples include: they may shed their foliage for a very short time in late winter or they lose most, but not all, of their foliage for a fraction of the year; sometimes they may lose their leaves due to specific situations, such as, extremes in temperature or drought. |
Stamen | pollen producing structure, usually found within the center of the flower |
Spathe | Leaf like structure that encloses the flower |
Taproot | Main root of a plant, usually growing straight down |
Variegated |
A plant whose green foliage is marked with another color, usually white or yellow |
