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Galium album

white bedstraw

Rubiaceae

Europe, western Asia, and North Africa

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Galium album is a sprawling, scrambling perennial of the bedstraw family, with slender, four-angled stems 12-48 inches (30-120 cm) long that lean on surrounding vegetation. The narrow leaves are carried in whorls of six to eight around each node, single-veined and tipped with a short point. From early summer to early autumn it produces airy, branching panicles of tiny white four-petalled flowers about 0.1 inch (2-3 mm) across, massed into frothy heads. The flowers carry a faint honey scent and draw many small insects. It grows on dry grassland, hedgebanks, roadside verges, scrub edges, and rough ground on neutral to calcareous soils. The weak stems flop without support, and the plant can scramble over and smother shorter neighbours. Native across most of Europe and into western Asia and North Africa, it is widespread in the British Isles. Growth thins on wet, acidic, or heavily shaded ground, where flowering is sparse.

Native Range

Galium album is native across Europe and into western Asia and North Africa. It is common on hedgebanks, verges, and dry grassland throughout the British Isles.

Suggested Uses

Used in wildflower meadows, hedgerow plantings, and wildlife gardens, where the froth of summer flowers draws bees, hoverflies, and small beetles. It scrambles through grass and shrubs in informal, naturalized areas.

How to Identify

Recognized by whorls of six to eight narrow, single-veined leaves with a short pointed tip and four-angled stems that scramble through other plants. The airy heads of tiny white four-petalled flowers appear in summer. The white flowers and pointed leaves separate it from lady's bedstraw Galium verum, which has yellow flowers and very narrow, blunt leaves.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 4'

Width/Spread1'6" - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~14 weeks

Summer Fall

Clouds of tiny white flowers open from June to September in branching panicles. Each flower is only 2-3 mm across, but they are massed in large numbers and carry a faint honey scent. Small dry fruits follow through late summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

mid-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand chalk clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to light shade on most well-drained soils, including dry and chalky ground, and tolerates a pH from 6.0 to 8.0. It needs no feeding and withstands drought once established. The weak, scrambling stems lean on neighbouring plants and flop in the open, so it suits informal grassland and banks more than tidy borders. It spreads by short rhizomes and self-seeds, and can be cut back after flowering to limit its spread. It is hardy to USDA zone 4 and dies back to the base over winter.

Pruning

Stems are cut back after flowering to limit self-seeding and to keep the plant within bounds. Old growth is cleared in late winter before new shoots appear. No structural pruning is needed.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic