Galium mollugo - (Galium album) – Hedge Bedstraw

A sprawling and scrambling medium to tall grassland perennial. In common with most other bedstraws, Hedge bedstraw has a square stem with whorls of undivided leaves and clusters of small white four petalled flowers. Distinguishable from other similar bedstraws by its smooth stem and relatively broad leaves (no more than five times long as wide). Could be confused with Heath bedstraw but differs in habitat and the seeds (actually small dry fruit) differ. See next species. NB In future we will be listing this species under the Latin name ‘Galium album’ in line with the third edition of Stace.

Type	Seeds per gram	Origin	Ordering
Grassland Perennial	1500	Somerset	Order this species

Habitat Information
A perennial herb of rough grassland, hedge banks, woodland edges and scrub on well-drained, calcareous soils. It produces seed readily but can also spread by stolons. A native, it is common throughout the southern half of Great Britain but is absent from large parts of north west Scotland and is not native to the island of Ireland.

Growing Information
Grows readily from seed sown at any time of the year.