Bedstraw

Galium aparine

Alternate names
Smooth Bedstraw, Cleavers

Weed Description
A perennial with square stems and whorls of 6 to 8 leaves. Smooth bedstraw is primarily a weed of landscapes, nursery crops, turfgrass, and lawns that is found throughout the United States.

Seedlings
Plants normally spread via rhizomes and stolons therefore seedlings are rarely encountered. Cotyledons oval and occur on petioles that are notched at the apex.

Leaves
Leaves have hairs and are approximately ½ to 1 ¼ inches long by 2 to 4 mm wide. Leaves are without petioles (sessile).

Stems
Stems are square in cross-section and have hairs.

Flowers
Produced in clusters on a flower stalk that arises from the area between the stem and leaves (leaf axils). Flowers consist of 4 white petals.

Fruit
A 2-parted capsule that separates at maturity.

Roots
Rhizomes and stolons occur.

Identifying Characteristics
The whorled leaves of this plant makes it easily distinguishable from most other weeds except Field Madder (Sherardia arvensis), which is very similar in appearance and growth habit. However, catchweed bedstraw has hairs on the upper leaf surfaces and also has stems with tiny prickles. Field madder generally has smaller leaves than the bedstraws and the leaves occur in whorls of 4 to 6. The leaves of field madder are also more lanceolate and have much more of a distinct point than those of the bedstraw species.

Trouble identifying a weed?

For additional assistance identifying weeds, contact Dr. Kevin Braldly, State Extension Weed Scientist (bradleyke@missouri.edu).

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University of Missouri

Bedstraw

Galium aparine

Trouble identifying a weed?