Piedmont Bedstraw

Cruciata pedemontana (Bellardi) Ehrend.

[formerly Galium pedemontanum (Bellardi) All.]

Rubiaceae (Madder Family)

young plants iin spring ▲▼

young plants in spring ▲▼

young plants in spring ▲▼

flowering plants ▲▼

flowering plants ▲▼

Piedmont Bedstraw:

·         winter annual or summer annual of lawns, cultivated crops, roadsides and non-crop areas

·         has light green, pointed leaves in whorls of 4; leaves are up to ½” long

·         grows 2-6” tall often with multiple  unbranched stems from its base

·         flowers are tiny, yellow-green, in axils of leaves—not showy

·         early growth has shorter leaves, very compact internodes

·         later spring growth has larger spaces between nodes

·         found in dry sites, open turf, fertile soils

·         similar to field madder, but field madder has leaves in whorls of 4-6, and pink to lavender flowers instead of greenish-yellow