Galium verum
| Galium verum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Meadows Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Galium verum (common name: lady's bedstraw)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe in late summer[1]. The seed can also be sown in situ in the spring though it may be very slow to germinate[1].
Division in spring. The plant can be successfully divided throughout the growing season if the divisions are kept moist until they are established[1]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade, but it tolerates a position in full sun[2]. Plants are tolerant of dry soils[3], but do not thrive in a hot climate. They dislike very acid soils[4][5].
A very invasive plant[3], though it is low-growing and mixes without harm with any plants at least 60cm tall[K]. It grows well in the summer meadow[6] and is a food plant for the larvae of several species of butterflies[7].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, to W. Asia.
Habitat: Waste ground, roadsides etc[8], mainly near the sea[9], on all but the most acid soils[4].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[10][11].
A yellow dye from the flowering stems is used as a food colouring[12][13].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[8]. The seed is also said to be edible[11].
The chopped up plant can be used as a rennet to coagulate plant milks[8][14][15][13][16].
The flowering tops are distilled in water to make a refreshing acid beverage[17][13].
Medicinal: Lady's bedstraw has a long history of use as a herbal medicine, though it is little used in modern medicine. Its main application is as a diuretic and as a treatment for skin complaints[18].
The leaves, stems and flowering shoots are antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, foot care, lithontripic and vulnerary[9][8][19]. The plant is used as a remedy in gravel, stone or urinary disorders[9][19][5][20] and is believed to be a remedy for epilepsy[9][21]. A powder made from the fresh plant is used to soothe reddened skin and reduce inflammation[8] whilst the plant is also used as a poultice on cuts, skin infections, slow-healing wounds etc[19]. The plant is harvested as it comes into flower and is dried for later use[19].
A number of species in this genus contain asperuloside, a substance that produces coumarin and gives the scent of new-mown hay as the plant dries[20]. Asperuloside can be converted into prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds that stimulate the uterus and affect blood vessels), making the genus of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry[20].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from the root[9][22][8][14][15]. It is rather fiddly to utilize[23].
A yellow dye is obtained from the flowering tops[9][8][15]. The dye is obtained from the foliage when it is boiled with alum[24].
The dried plant has the scent of newly mown hay, it was formerly used as a strewing herb[6] and for stuffing mattresses etc[25][14][15]. It is said to keep fleas away[24].
A sprig in a shoe is said to prevent blisters[14].
Pollinators: Flies, beetles, self
Notes: We could supply this in the next catalogue.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Ahrendt, Leslie. Berberis and Mahonia. Journal of the Linnean Society, 1961.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana, 1979.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.