Woodruff is known to many as a flavoring agent, but few recognize it in the wild. The delicate flowers also make the medicinal herb a grateful flowering plant in the garden.
When is the flowering time of the woodruff?
The flowering period of the woodruff extends from April to June. During this time it is easiest to identify and collect the ground-covering plant with its white, cross-shaped flowers in the wild.
The ideal time to collect woodruff
Identifying and collecting woodruff in the forest is easiest during the flowering period starting in April. The ground-covering plant usually occurs in mass populations due to its propagation via root runners. Depending on the location, these bear their cross-shaped, white flowers until May or June.
The use of woodruff
Woodruff was previously used for the following purposes:
- for flavoring lemonades
- for making the traditional Maibowle
- as a natural medicine for humans and animals
Due to the flowering period, woodruff is sometimes also referred to as mayweed. Nowadays it is no longer allowed to be used to make lemonade due to the coumarin it contains, the excessive consumption of which can be harmful.
Tips & Tricks
Take a close look at the small flowers of the woodruff: they are said to have served as a model for the white cross on the Swiss flag.
