Northern bedstraw

Galium boreale

Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Galium Species: boreale

Synonyms: Galium boreale var. linearifolium, Galium mesocarpon, Galium boreale f. latifolium, Galium rubioides var. angustifolium, Galium boreale subsp. intermedium, Galium boreale var. glabrum, Galium boreale var. hirsutum, Galium septentrionale var. incurvatum, Galium auriense, Galium boreale var. pseudorubioides, Galium boreale f. genuinum, Galium nervosum, Galium boreale var. ciliatum, Galium boreale subsp. hyssopifolium, Galium vogesiacum, Galium boreale subsp. pseudorubioides, Galium boreale var. intermedium, Galium boreale var. typicum, Galium boreale subsp. ussuriense, Galium boreale f. humidiusculum, Galium boreale f. kamtschaticum, Galium boreale var. roseum, Galium trinerve, Galium septentrionale, Galium boreale var. vulgare, Galium boreale var. koreanum, Galium boreale var. hispidulum, Galium boreale subsp. septentrionale, Galium boreale f. hyssopifolium, Galium boreale var. elatius, Galium rubioides var. hyssopifolium, Galium boreale subsp. linearifolium, Galium schilkense, Trichogalium boreale, Galium septentrionale var. glabrum, Galium boreale var. lancilimbum, Galium orbibracteatum, Galium boreale var. angustifolium, Galium boreale var. nudum, Galium utahense, Galium boreale var. scabrum, Galium boreale var. leiocarpum, Galium boreale var. genuinum, Aparine borealis, Galium strictum, Galium boreale subsp. incurvatum, Galium boreale var. vogesiacum, Galium boreale var. septentrionale, Galium boreale var. kamtschaticum, Galium boreale var. diffusum, Rubia borealis, Galium boreale var. hyssopifolium, Galium trinervium, Galium ussuriense, Galium rubioides var. latifolium, Galium boreale var. lanceolatum, Galium hyssopifolium

Northern bedstraw (en)

Gallery

Botanical Description

Galium boreale, the northern bedstraw, is an upright perennial herb of the family Rubiaceae growing 20 to 60 cm tall, with stiff, erect, four-angled stems arising from creeping rhizomes. Unlike many sprawling bedstraws it stands self-supporting, and its narrow, three-veined leaves are arranged in neat whorls of four along the stem. From early to late summer it produces dense, branched terminal panicles of numerous small, fragrant, four-petalled white flowers, making a showy display. The fruit is a small, dry, twin nutlet usually covered in short hooked bristles. Native across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including northern Europe, Asia and North America, northern bedstraw grows in meadows, riverbanks, open woodland, rocky slopes and prairie, often on calcareous or gravelly soils. The roots yield a red dye.

Native Region: Afghanistan, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Bulgaria, California, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China South-Central, Colorado, Connecticut, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kentucky, Khabarovsk, Korea, Magadan, Maine, Manchuria, Maryland, Masachusettes, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Nebraska, Netherlands, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tennessee, Texas, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Ukraine, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yugoslavia, Yukon

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

The Cree used northern bedstraw as a diuretic, and the Choctaw employed it as a diuretic and diaphoretic (Moerman, 1998). These folk uses are the principal documented medicinal applications of the plant; the roots were also valued as a source of red dye.

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

257957

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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