Galium nuttallii subsp. nuttallii

Family: Rubiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Nuttall's bedstraw is a California native perennial found in southern coastal California, western Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in chaparral habitats at elevations of 3 to 500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with slender stems covered in minute, sharp, curved hairs that give the plant a distinctive texture, it forms low, sprawling clusters. Its narrow leaves are arranged in tight whorls around the stem, typical of the bedstraw genus. The plant's fine, clinging hairs help it attach to clothing or animal fur, a characteristic adaptation for seed dispersal.

Habitat: Chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 3-500 m

Bioregions: SCo, WTR, PR

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.