northern bedstraw

(Galium boreale)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Wetland Indicator Status

Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

Midwest

FAC - Facultative

Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

 
northern bedstraw
 
 
Description

Northern bedstraw is a 6 to 40 tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on numerous stems from a creeping rhizome.

The stems are ascending, erect, or reclining on the ground. They are slender, 4-angled, hollow, and many branched. They are usually hairless except for a short beard of hairs just below the nodes. Sometimes they are rough with minute, stiff hairs. They do not have hooked hairs.

The leaves are stalkless and in whorls of 4. They are linear lance-shaped, to 1¾long, and up to 3 16 wide. There are often two leaves opposite each other within a whorl that are significantly longer than the other two. The leaf blades have 3 veins, 1 prominent midvein and 2 less prominent but plainly visible lateral veins, running from the base to the tip. They are rounded at the tip. The upper surface is green and hairless. The lower surface is light green and sparsely hairy. The margins are untoothed and have a fringe of hairs. The leaves do not have hooked hairs.

The inflorescence is a showy, branched, about 4 long and wide, round-topped cluster (cyme) of numerous stalked flowers at the end of the stem. Each division of the cyme is subtended by a pair of elliptic bracts.

The flowers are to ¼ wide. There are 4 white to cream-colored petals fused at the base into a short tube then separated into 4 short lobes with pointed tips. There are 4 stamens with white filaments and yellowish-brown anthers, and 2 styles. There are 2 carpels at the base of the flower. The carpels are light green, hairy, and joined together. They do not have hooked hairs.

The fruit is a green, sometimes hairy, ball-like, 1-seeded capsule, joined in pairs. It does not have hooked hairs.

 

Height

6 to 40

 

Flower Color

White to cream

 

Similar Species

Northern bedstraw often has two leaves opposite each other within a whorl that are significantly longer than the other two. Other bedstraws have leaves within a whorl that are identical in size.

Licorice bedstraw (Galium circaezans var. hypomalacum) has much wider leaves and 3 prominent parallel veins.

Habitat

Dry to wet. Woods, forests, prairies, meadows, fields.

Ecology

Flowering

June to July

 

Pests and Diseases

 

Use

 

Distribution

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 29, 30.

3/7/2025    
     

Nativity

Native

     

Occurrence

Common and widespread

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae (green algae and land plants)

Subkingdom

Viridiplantae (green plants)

Infrakingdom

Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)

Superdivision

Embryophyta (land plants)

Division

Tracheophyta (vascular plants)

Subdivision

Spermatophytina (seed plants) / Angiospermae (flowering plants)

Class

Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)

Superorder

Asteranae

Order

Gentianales (gentians, dogbanes, madders, and allies)

Family

Rubiaceae (madder)

Subfamily

Rubioideae

Tribe

Rubieae

Genus

Galium (bedstraws)

   

Subordinate Taxa

 

   

Synonyms

Galium boreale var. hyssopifolium

Galium boreale var. intermedium

Galium boreale var. linearifolium

Galium boreale var. scabrum

Galium boreale ssp. septentrionale

Galium boreale var. typicum

Galium hyssopifolium

Galium septentrionale

Galium strictum

   

Common Names

northern bedstraw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Bract

Modified leaf at the base of a flower stalk, flower cluster, or inflorescence.

 

Carpel

The female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of an ovary, styles, and stigmas.

 

Cyme

A branched, flat-topped or convex flower cluster in which the terminal flower opens first and the outermost flowers open last.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

Visitor Photos
 

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Dan W. Andree

Almost other world like looking creature...

that is what came to mind observing this poison ivy sawfly from certain angles. I found it really interesting and it had a nice color pattern to it. I could get close to it moving slowly and quietly and it just went about its business I believe feeding on something on those little flowers. It wasn’t real big or anything maybe an inch and a quarter or so in length though some online sites state they are 11mm. which is almost half an inch. This one was at least one inch or a little more in length.

  poison ivy sawfly

I thought it was some type of wasp at first until later on.

At Frenchman’s Bluff SNA where I seen it on June 20, 2024 there is a lot of poison ivy growing in areas and that is what the larvae/poison ivy caterpillars feed on.

Poison Ivy Sawflies do not have any stinger and this creature though strange looking wasn’t aggressive and almost seemed like a gentle creature. It was the first and only time I seen one.

It may look a little strange, but anything whose larvae feed on poison ivy plants gets my approval. And it is harmless to people. I thought it was a strange looking creature at first, but found it to be harmless, very beneficial to the area I seen it at and a real educational learning experience. Cool creature.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
northern bedstraw   northern bedstraw

Habitat

 

Habitat

     
northern bedstraw   northern bedstraw

Plant

 

Plant

     
northern bedstraw   northern bedstraw

Inflorescence

 

Inflorescence

     
northern bedstraw   northern bedstraw

Inflorescence

 

Flowers

 

Camera

Slideshows

Northern Bedstraw
Andree Reno Sanborn

Northern Bedstraw
About

Galium boreale

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

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Visitor Sightings
 

Report a sighting of this plant.

 

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Dan W. Andree
6/20/2024

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Almost other world like looking creature... that is what came to mind observing this poison ivy sawfly from certain angles. I found it really interesting and it had a nice color pattern to it. I could get close to it moving slowly and quietly and it just went about its business I believe feeding on something on those little flowers. It wasn’t real big or anything maybe an inch and a quarter or so in length though some online sites state they are 11mm. which is almost half an inch. This one was at least one inch or a little more in length.

poison ivy sawfly
 

I thought it was some type of wasp at first until later on.

At Frenchman’s Bluff SNA where I seen it on June 20, 2024 there is a lot of poison ivy growing in areas and that is what the larvae/poison ivy caterpillars feed on.

Poison Ivy Sawflies do not have any stinger and this creature though strange looking wasn’t aggressive and almost seemed like a gentle creature. It was the first and only time I seen one.

It may look a little strange, but anything whose larvae feed on poison ivy plants gets my approval. And it is harmless to people. I thought it was a strange looking creature at first, but found it to be harmless, very beneficial to the area I seen it at and a real educational learning experience. Cool creature.

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Binoculars

 

Created: 6/13/2006

Last Updated:

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