Horticulture/Galium odoratum

Uses
Galium odoratum is a strongly scented plant, the sweet scent being derived from coumarin. This scent increases on wilting and then persists on drying, and woodruff is used in pot-pourri and as a moth deterrent. It is also used, mainly in Germany, to flavour May wine (called "Maiwein" or "Maibowle" in German), beer (Berliner Weisse), brandy, sausages, jelly, jam, a soft drink (Tarchun), and a herbal tea with gentle sedative properties.

High doses can cause headaches, and very high doses (far beyond those found in the aforementioned drinks) can even have mind-altering properties, as well as causing vertigo, somnolence or even central paralysis and apnoea while in a coma; so, some common sense should be applied when consuming woodruff. Since the 1980s, woodruff may no longer be used as an ingredient of industrially produced drinks and foodstuffs in Germany; it has been replaced by artificial aromas and colorings. However, the plant itself remains on sale and is also widely collected from the wild for private use. Using up to three grams of woodruff per litre of May wine is considered safe, as long as the drink is consumed no more than a few weeks per year.