Galium mollugo

RHS Plant Profile

hedge bedstraw

Other common names

false baby's breath, great bedstraw, sticky grass, whip tongue, white bedstraw, white madder, wild madder, llysiau'r pannwr

Herbaceous Perennial

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A scrambling, grassland perennial to 1m tall, producing whorls of six to eight green leaves and smooth hairless stems, and clusters of sweetly scented, small star-shaped white flowers produced from the leaf axils, from late spring to summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Rubiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Galium can be annuals or perennials, with weak, sometimes scrambling stems bearing whorls of narrow leaves and usually terminal panicles of small, white or yellow flowers
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: Eurasia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any, preferably moist, humus-rich soil in sun or part shade; may spread freely with the potential to become a nuisance

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers in a shaded cold frame, as soon as ripe. Propagate by separating rhizomes in autumn or early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildflower meadow
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free