Northern bedstraw
Prepared by Jennifer L. D’Appollonio, Assistant Scientist, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469. April 2019.
Scientific name: Galium boreale L.
Common name(s): northern bedstraw
Link(s): USDA PLANTS Profile, NPIN Profile, Go Botany
Images: (to see enlargements [PC]: click on image, then right click and choose “view image”)
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- In wild blueberry field
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- leaves in whorls of 4 with smooth stem
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- flowers are white, but inflorescence can appear purplish or greenish
Description:
-perennial
-native to North America
-leaves are:
- simple
- opposite
- whorled
- entire
-pollinated by flies and bees
-may be confused with G. kamptschaticum or G. pilosum; see Go Botany left sidebar for more information
Habitat:
-fens
-meadows and fields
-woodlands
Natural History:
-named for its use of stuffing mattresses
-its juice can be used for skin irritations
- bug bites
- sunburns
Sources:
Go Botany. “Galium Boreale L.” Galium Boreale (Northern Bedstraw): Go Botany, 2021, gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/galium/boreale/.