Sweet woodruff
The plant is about 10 to 30 cm tall and flowers in May and June. Due to its creeping rhizome, it multiplies very quickly. It soon forms a single green carpet with a mass of white stars with a sweet scent. The plant is common in beech forests where it has loose, well-aerated and nutrient-rich soil with some moisture in spring.
Medicinally, it acts as a blood vessel dilator, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. It has been incorporated into an herbal tea and helps against headaches, migraines and palpitations. The dose of the active substances present can vary greatly which then causes negative effects such as dizziness and nausea.
In the past, the herb was used for many purposes such as scenting clothes and flavouring wine. It was also a defence herb that was hung on windows to ward off the plague in the Middle Ages.
