Greater woodrush
Luzula sylvatica ·
Tufts of broad, glossy, evergreen leaves edged with fine white hairs, and loose sprays of chestnut-brown flowers in late spring. It thrives in dry shade under trees.
- Size
- 16 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Early May to early June
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around greater woodrush
The planner designed this bed around greater woodrush when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) naturalistic planting in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why greater woodrush stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Greater woodrush × 6, tan
- 2 Dwarf lady's mantle × 8, green
- 3 Leadwort × 12, blue
- 4 Solomon's seal × 3, white
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Early crocus × 12, lavender
- 8 Grecian windflower × 12, pink
Why this plant
- Part of the matrix. The low fabric of grasses and groundcovers that the taller plants come up through.
- The only tan. Tan sits between stronger colours and calms them.
- Part of the bed's structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down. So does inkberry 'Gem Box'.
Why here
- Under the taller plants. It runs back between them as living mulch: there its job is to cover the soil, not to be looked at.
- 6 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From early May to early June.
- Part of the bed's peak. With dwarf lady's mantle and Solomon's seal in late May: 3 kinds at once. No week has more.
- One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as a naturalistic planting: low grasses and groundcovers, the matrix, make up 44% of the planted ground. Leadwort repeats along the bed to tie it together. The most in flower at one time is 3 kinds, in late May.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where greater woodrush goes in a border
At 16 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
One of the few plants that make dense groundcover in the dry shade under mature trees. Plant it in sweeps.
- Evergreen groundcover for dry shade
- Under trees, even beech and maple
- Holding shaded banks
What to plant with greater woodrush
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Lenten rose: bold leaves against its medium ones.
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
- Hosta: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones; spires rising out of its mound.
Questions about greater woodrush
Does greater woodrush need sun or shade?
Greater woodrush grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does greater woodrush grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does greater woodrush flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early May to early June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 5 | Early May to early June |
|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Early May to early June |
| Zone 7 | Late April to late May |
| Zone 8 | Mid April to late May |
| Zone 9 | Mid April to late May |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should greater woodrush be planted?
16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many greater woodrush plants do I need?
At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used six in one group.
Is there a native plant like greater woodrush?
Greater woodrush is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Lowbush blueberry: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; white, not tan, fine leaves, not medium.
- Foamflower: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 6 in shorter, 4 in narrower.
- Common polypody: the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, grown for its leaves, not its flowers.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after greater woodrush?
Greater woodrush is over by early June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
- Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': from early June to early October, 18 in tall.
What does greater woodrush look like in winter?
Greater woodrush keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
More Luzula
- Snowy woodrush Luzula nivea
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Grass
- Size
- 16 in (40 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 16 in (40 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early May to early June; airy sprays; tan
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Mounding, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.