Bedstraw
Cleavers
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stem, leaves and flowers of plant can be eaten raw.
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plant is best when collected before fruiting.
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raw plant has mild/no taste and older plants have an unpalatable texture.
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plant is best when cooked.
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is a good source of vitamin C.
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varieties in the Pacific Northwest include Cleavers (Galium aparine), Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) and Sweet-scented bedstraw (Galium triflorum).
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look for bedstraw alongside low-growing vegetation and disturbed soil sites.
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warning: acts as a mild laxative when eaten in quantity.