Galium boreale
northern bedstraw
Circumboreal (northern North America, Europe, Asia)
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantFragrant (light)
Native to North America
Overview
Galium boreale is an upright, rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the family Rubiaceae, forming patches of slender, square stems 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall. The narrow, three-veined leaves are 0.75-2 inches (2-5 cm) long and arranged in whorls of four around the stem at each node. From early to midsummer the stems are topped by branched, frothy clusters of many small, four-petalled white flowers, each about 0.15 inch (3-4 mm) across, with a sweet, honey-like scent. The tiny fruits are paired, dry, and covered in short hooked or straight hairs. Galium boreale spreads by creeping rhizomes into loose colonies in meadows, prairies, open woods, and on rocky slopes and shorelines. The fragrant flowers draw bees, flies, and small beetles. A red dye has long been obtained from its roots. Limitations include a spreading habit that can wander in a border and stems that tend to lean or sprawl without support from neighbouring plants.
Native Range
Galium boreale has a circumboreal distribution, native across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. In North America it ranges from Alaska and Canada south through the northern and western United States. It grows in meadows, prairies, open woodland, rocky banks, and shorelines on well-drained soil.Suggested Uses
Galium boreale is used in meadow and prairie plantings, native and pollinator gardens, and informal borders, spaced 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. The dried, sweet-scented stems have long been used to stuff mattresses, the origin of the name bedstraw.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Galium boreale blooms in early to midsummer, around June to August, opening dense, branched clusters of small white flowers over three to five weeks. The sweetly scented flowers draw a range of small pollinating insects. Paired dry fruits follow and ripen by late summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Medium greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-12 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Galium boreale grows in full sun to part shade on average, well-drained soil and tolerates lean, rocky, and dry ground once established. Rich or moist soil produces taller stems that may flop and need the support of surrounding plants. It withstands cold to USDA zone 3 and needs no winter protection. The plant spreads by rhizomes and can colonise an area, so it is given room or contained in smaller beds. No fertiliser is needed, and lean soil keeps growth sturdier. Few pests or diseases affect it.Pruning
Galium boreale can be sheared back after flowering to tidy the clump and prevent self-seeding. Spent stems are cut to the ground in autumn or left over winter. Lifting and dividing the rhizomes in spring renews the clump and controls its spread.Pruning Schedule
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summerfall