# Common Marsh-bedstraw (*Galium palustre*)

Common Marsh-bedstraw is a lovely plant that grows in wet places like marshes. It has small, white flowers and soft, green leaves that can be fun to touch!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Common Marsh-bedstraw](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Galium_palustre.jpeg&width=800)

Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 08:10, 20 September 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galium_palustre.jpeg)

## Appearance

The Common Marsh-bedstraw has delicate, sprawling stems with whorls of 4-6 narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Its tiny, star-like white flowers bloom in loose clusters, giving it a frothy appearance that stands out against marshy greens.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Gentianales
- **Family:** Rubiaceae
- **Genus:** Galium

## Interesting facts

- Historically, people used this plant's stems to filter milk!
- Its tiny fruits have hooks that help them hitchhike on animal fur!
- The name 'bedstraw' comes from its ancient use as comfy mattress stuffing!
- This plant is surprisingly related to coffee, tea, and quinine plants!

## Special abilities

- **Waterlogged Survivor:** Common Marsh-bedstraw can tolerate waterlogged soils, thriving where many other plants would struggle to get enough oxygen to their roots.
- **Ground Spreader:** Common Marsh-bedstraw has a sprawling growth habit, allowing it to quickly spread and form dense mats, helping it compete for space.
- **Natural Gripper:** Common Marsh-bedstraw can have slightly sticky stems that help it cling to other plants, giving it support in its wet habitat.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 30-100 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late Spring to Early Autumn
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its small white flowers for nectar.
- **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs feed on its lush leaves and tender stems.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Bumblebees help carry its pollen to other plants.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always explore plants with an adult and don't eat anything you find in nature without checking first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Common Marsh-bedstraw?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Common Marsh-bedstraw?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Common Marsh-bedstraw spread?

30-100 cm

### How big are the flowers on Common Marsh-bedstraw?

0.2-0.4 cm

### When does Common Marsh-bedstraw bloom?

Late Spring to Early Autumn

### Is Common Marsh-bedstraw edible?

Yes

### Is Common Marsh-bedstraw toxic?

None

### What is Common Marsh-bedstraw's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Common Marsh-bedstraw: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-marsh-bedstraw)