# fragrant bedstraw (*Galium triflorum*) Fragrant bedstraw is a lovely plant that grows in forests and meadows. It has tiny white flowers and smells sweet, especially when you touch it! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Forests ![fragrant bedstraw](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Galium_triflorum_10232.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galium_triflorum_10232.JPG) ## Appearance The fragrant bedstraw is a delicate, sprawling plant with slender stems and tiny, star-shaped, greenish-white flowers clustered at the tips. Its narrow, lance-shaped leaves grow in distinctive whorls of six, making it visually unique among its ground-covering neighbors. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Rubiaceae - **Genus:** Galium ## Interesting facts - Dried bedstraw was once used to stuff mattresses and repel fleas! - Its species name, 'triflorum', refers to its flowers often growing in groups of three. - Native Americans traditionally used its leaves to make soothing herbal teas. - You can crush its leaves for a sweet, hay-like scent, especially noticeable when dried. ## Special abilities - **Aromatic Shield:** Fragrant bedstraw has a sweet scent when crushed, which might deter some herbivores or attract pollinators from a distance. - **Hitchhiker Seeds:** Fragrant bedstraw produces small fruits covered in hooked bristles, allowing its seeds to hitch a ride on passing animals for wide dispersal. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Commonly browsed by deer. - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracts honey bees for nectar. - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Provides nectar for native bumblebees. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [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. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before touching or picking plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify fragrant 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 fragrant bedstraw? 10-100 cm ### How wide does fragrant bedstraw spread? 30-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on fragrant bedstraw? 0.3-0.4 cm ### When does fragrant bedstraw bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is fragrant bedstraw edible? Yes ### Is fragrant bedstraw toxic? None ### What is fragrant bedstraw's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Brattleboro Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brattleboro-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Greene–Sullivan State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greene-sullivan-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest - [Marine Corps Base Quantico](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marine-corps-base-quantico) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Redwood National and State Parks](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/redwood-national-and-state-parks) — California, US · National Park - [Denton Hill State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/denton-hill-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park - [Otter Lake Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/otter-lake-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see fragrant bedstraw](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fragrant-bedstraw) ## 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*) --- Source: [Fragrant Bedstraw: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fragrant-bedstraw)