Galium parisiense
Wall bedstraw
(c) Andre Hosper, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rubiaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Galium parisiense (Wall bedstraw) is a non-native California herb in the Rubiaceae family, recognized by annual habit and 6 leaves per whorl distinguish from natives.
Wall bedstraw is a naturalized annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, southern California, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges (Orange County) in warm, dry rocky soils, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and grassy oak hillsides at elevations of 110 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces white to light purple flowers in small, open panicles with thread-like pedicels. Growing with slender, scabrous stems 15 to 68 centimeters tall, it develops an erect habit. Its leaves are arranged in whorls of 6, measuring 4 to 9 millimeters long, lanceolate to oblanceolate, and typically reflexed with age. The tiny fruits have short, hooked hairs or occasionally no hairs at all.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 57 sympatric species; annual habit and 6 leaves per whorl distinguish from natives
Habitat and range
Habitat: Warm, dry, generally rocky soil to moist areas, coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, grassy hillsides with oaks, roadsides
Elevation: 110-2200 m
California counties: Humboldt, Kern, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Butte, Calaveras, Sonoma, Fresno, San Bernardino, Lake, Los Angeles, Monterey, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Mariposa, Placer, Tehama, Orange, Contra Costa, Colusa, Glenn, Riverside, Shasta, Stanislaus, Madera, Siskiyou, Solano, Yuba, El Dorado, Amador, Nevada, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Marin, Sacramento, Trinity, Sutter, Napa, San Benito, Alameda, San Mateo, Ventura, Yolo, Sierra, San Joaquin
Outside California: native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Galium parisiense blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Eriogonum: Galium has whorled leaves and tiny flowers; Eriogonum has alternate/basal leaves and dense flower clusters with papery bracts.; vs Sherardia: Galium flowers have stalks and no sepals; Sherardia flowers lack stalks and have six prominent sepals.; vs Baccharis: Galium has whorled leaves and tiny four-petaled flowers; Baccharis has alternate leaves and composite flower heads.; vs Lupinus: Galium has whorled narrow leaves and tiny rotate flowers; Lupinus has palmate compound leaves and pea-like flowers.; vs Euphorbia: Galium has whorled leaves and four-petaled flowers; Euphorbia has alternate leaves and milky sap with specialized flower cups.
Frequently asked questions
Is Galium parisiense native to California?
No. Galium parisiense is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Galium parisiense bloom?
Galium parisiense blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Galium parisiense grow?
Galium parisiense occurs in Humboldt, Kern, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Butte, Calaveras, Sonoma and other counties, at elevations of 110-2200 m.
What plant family does Galium parisiense belong to?
Galium parisiense is in the Rubiaceae family, genus Galium.
What habitat does Galium parisiense grow in?
Galium parisiense grows in Warm, dry, generally rocky soil to moist areas, coastal-sage scrub, chaparral, grassy hillsides with oaks, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.