Diamon Naturals

Alaena Charlotte Diamon

alaena@diamon-naturals.us

Bedstraw, Northern (Galium boreale)

Common Names:  Beggar-Lice, Chicken-weed.

Parts Used:  Aerial parts.

Description:  Northern Bedstraw has a smooth stem with long, thin, lance-like leaves, which are whorled in groups of four. The white flowers grow in small terminal clusters. 1-2 feet tall.  Other varieties of Bedstraw may have leaves in whorls of six or eight, and have stems that cling, although not as much as Cleavers.  Flowers - 3 per stalk, in loose, open clusters at step tips and from upper leaf axils, become wide-spreading, 2 - 3 mm across; 4 petals, greenish white; appearing early summer.

Habitat:  Rocky soil and shores.  Moist places and damp woods.

Propagation and Reproduction:  Spreads by seed.

Constituents:  Bedstraw contains Iridoid glucosides, phenolic acids, tannins, coumarins, sterols, fatty acids, starch.

Uses:  Bedstraw has been shown in studies to have a hypotensive effect (lowers vascular pressure) and also contains the compound, asperuloside, which is anti-inflammatory.  The very young greens are eaten in some places as a potherb.

Miscellaneous:  Bedstraws and Cleavers were used to curdle milk and make cheese.. Many small chickens have met their fate by getting stuck in dense patches of bedstraw (this is more common in other bedstraws, as northern bedstraw has smooth stems). Finally, as their as their namesake implies they were used in the stuffing of mattresses and pillows.

Caution: The juice may cause contact dermatitis.

Flower Essence: An untangler of mental knots, anxieties, worries, and other concerns that can fill the night hours when restful sleep would serve a better purpose.  A great help to chronic worriers. Recalibrates electrical systems and our personal center of gravity.

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