The plant Galium odoratum, also known as woodruff, has been a frequently used medicinal plant since the Middle Ages and is famous for its characteristic taste. For an optimal result, a few things should be taken into account when collecting woodruff.
When and where should you collect woodruff?
Woodruff (Galium odoratum) is best collected shortly before flowering in spring, when the aroma is most intense. The plant prefers to grow in shady locations under trees and bushes in deciduous or coniferous forests.
Finding the location of woodruff in nature
The woodruff is not equally widespread in all regions of Central Europe. However, it is a typical forest plant that prefers to grow in shady locations under trees and bushes. The woodruff is particularly widespread in beech and other deciduous forests, but it also occurs in coniferous forests. Under suitable conditions, the ground-covering woodruff spreads over larger areas within a few years via root propagation and seeds. Areas with woodruff growth in the forest are most likely to be discovered during the flowering period from around mid-April to May.
Identify the plant clearly
Before you pick herbs or other plants in the forest for decoration or for use in food, you should be sure that they are non-toxic. Regular consumption of large quantities of woodruff can cause discomfort and can also have a toxic effect on the human liver, but otherwise woodruff consumed in moderation tends to have a he alth-promoting effect. You can recognize the woodruff in the forest by its stems, which are up to 30 centimeters long, with the narrow leaves arranged in whorls all around. In spring, numerous white flowers appear at the tips that look like a cross. A smell test can also provide certainty, because the typical woodruff taste can also be perceived as a smell on the fresh plants.
Picking and processing woodruff correctly
The woodruff develops its strongest aroma during the year shortly before it blooms in spring. Then the green stems are cut off just above the ground with a knife or herb sickle. When picking woodruff in the forest or in the garden, always leave enough plant parts so that the woodruff can recover and reproduce until next year. You can process the woodruff as:
- Herb in salads
- Flavouring for sweet dishes
- in drinks like the Waldmeisterbowle
Tips & Tricks
Products like the May punch made with woodruff get an even more intense taste if you let the harvested stalks dry for one night and thus wilt.
