Climbing Bedstraw (Galium porrigens var. porrigens) Login         


        Description
  • Height to 5 ft.
  • EW Bloom Mar - Aug
  • Climbing Bedstraw has whorls of four leaves regularly spaced along the stem.
  • It is covered in prickly hairs, good for climbing over itself and other objects.
  • CA native. Found only in California and nearby.
  • AKA Oval Leaved Bedstraw, Graceful Bedstraw, Bedstraw
  • Coffee Family (Rubiaceae)



Look for whorled leaves in groups of 4, small yellow flowers with 4 petals, a square stem, and white berries.



Flowers are small, about 1/10" across.



Square stems and leaves have prickly hairs, good for clinging.

   Photo Gallery (25 ) click any picture to enlarge
    

Climbing Bedstraw grows to 5 feet. It uses it rough hairs to hold onto other plants and climb up them. Leaves are about 1/2" long, and attach to t ...

Both leaves and stems have tiny hooked [[prickles]]. They cling together so well that Bedstraw has been used to stuff mattresses, where you want th ...

Flowers are dioecious, with male and female flowers growing on separate plants. Male flowers grow in clusters, as in this photo.

Female flowers are solitary. They develop bulging ovaries once they're pollinated.

Berries start out white and turn black with age. They're not hairy, like on some other bedstraws.