Galium triflorum

Sweet-scented bedstraw, Sweet-Scented Bedstraw

Family: Rubiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sweet-scented bedstraw is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western California, San Bernardino Mountains, and Modoc Plateau in damp, shady forest habitats at elevations of 10 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces cream to pink flowers in small clusters of 2 to 3 blossoms. Growing with decumbent stems 20 to 76 centimeters long that radiate from the base, it spreads across the ground in a distinctive pattern. Its leaves grow in whorls of 6, typically parallel to the ground, with ovate to obovate blades 6 to 38 millimeters long and acute to acuminate tips. The fruit develops as small nutlets with soft, hooked hairs that are white to brown in color.

Habitat: Damp, shady forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 10-3000 m

Bioregions: NW, CaRH, SN, CW, SnBr, MP

California counties: Humboldt, Mendocino, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Trinity, Santa Cruz, Del Norte, Monterey, Calaveras, Marin, Sonoma, Lake, Tulare, Fresno, Butte, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Mono, San Mateo, Plumas, El Dorado, Tehama, Kern, Amador, Placer, Nevada, Colusa, Modoc, Alameda, San Joaquin, Shasta, Glenn, Napa, Madera, Lassen, Sierra, Santa Clara, Alpine, Santa Barbara, Ventura

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