Thread: sweet woodruff
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Old 17-07-2011, 09:12 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
[email protected] nmm1@cam.ac.uk is offline
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Default sweet woodruff

In article ,
Adam Funk wrote:
On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:


It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!


In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.


ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.


I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.