Bedstraw 

Cleavers

Galium spp.

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• stem, leaves and flowers of plant can be eaten raw.

• plant is best when collected before fruiting.

• raw plant has mild/no taste and older plants have an unpalatable texture.

• plant is best when cooked.

• is a good source of vitamin C.

• varieties in the Pacific Northwest include Cleavers (Galium aparine), Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) and Sweet-scented bedstraw (Galium triflorum).

• look for bedstraw alongside low-growing vegetation and disturbed soil sites.

• warning: acts as a mild laxative when eaten in quantity.