About
Galium verum, lady's bedstraw, is a low, scrambling, carpeting perennial with stems to 1.2 m long, often rooting where they touch the ground, and bearing whorled linear green leaves and terminal panicles of tiny, four-lobed, yellow flowers in mid to late summer, scented of honey and hay when dried. A charming native wildflower for a meadow or sunny, well-drained bank.
About the genus
Galium, the bedstraws, are annuals or perennials with weak, sometimes scrambling stems bearing whorls of narrow leaves and usually terminal panicles of small, white or yellow, four-petalled flowers. Several species are important wildflowers and traditional herbs.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureExposed, Sheltered
UK hardinessH7
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitMatforming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesWildflower meadow, Wildlife gardens
Native toEurope, Asia, NW Africa
Care notes
CultivationGrow in any moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade; it spreads freely with the potential to become a nuisance in gardens, but ideal for meadow planting, where the flowers provide nectar for pollinating insects such as bumblebees and butterflies and food for caterpillars of several moths
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed, sowing when ripe, or propagate by division
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free