Lady’s bedstraw

Lady’s bedstraw: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose clump of thin, sprawling to upright stems of 20–60 cm, with creeping rhizomes; up to 60 cm across.

Leaves

Needle-like, 1–2.5 cm, in whorls of 8–12 around the stem; dark green, with rolled-under edges.

Flower

Tiny, bright yellow flowers with four lobes, in dense, elongated sprays, from June to September.

Scent

Sweet, of honey; when dried, the plant smells of hay.

Roots

Creeping rhizomes with which it slowly spreads; deep-rooted and therefore drought tolerant.

Flowering: June–September · Harvest and fruit: June–August · Sowing: March–April and September · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March and October

Why grow it?

• Bright yellow, honey-scented sprays from June to September.
• Small bees, hoverflies, flies and beetles visit the flowers.
• Food plant of the hummingbird hawk-moth and the elephant hawk-moth: their caterpillars feed on bedstraw.
• Drought tolerant: ideal for poor sandy soil, dunes and sunny banks.
• A fine, airy plant that blends beautifully with grasses and other wild flowers.

Lady’s bedstraw: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade it grows weak and flowers little.
• Poor, free-draining sandy or loamy soil, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it dislikes wet, heavy soil.
• Plant 40–50 cm apart, or sow it in a wildflower meadow.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Brown knapweed: Purple-pink flower heads in the same poor soil, a favourite of butterflies.
• Harebell: Delicate blue bells that contrast nicely with the yellow.
• Wild marjoram: Pink flowers and scented leaves for bees and butterflies, in the same dry spot.
• Sheep’s fescue: A fine, low grass for dry sandy soil, through which the bedstraw weaves beautifully.

Lady’s bedstraw: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October; sow in March–April or in September.
2. Clear the ground of weeds and, on heavy soil, mix in some coarse sand.
3. Plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil.
4. Leave 40–50 cm between plants: it fills the gaps by itself.
5. Water in and water during dry spells for the first few weeks; after that it is rarely needed.

Care

Water

Only in the first year, during long dry spells.

Feeding

Do not: in rich soil it grows weak and grass crowds it out.

Keeping in check

In a border, chop off rhizomes that spread too far.

Mowing

In a meadow, mow in September–October and remove the cuttings.

Support

Not needed; the thin stems often lean on neighbouring plants.

Tip: Give it a place in a poor wildflower meadow or on a sunny bank, where it may spread with its rhizomes. Never feed it: in poor soil it smells and flowers best.

Lady’s bedstraw: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and October.

When: Cut back the faded stems in October, or leave them standing and cut them back in March. In a meadow it is simply cut with the autumn mowing.

How:

• Cut the old stems back to just above the ground.
• Leave some standing over winter as shelter for insects.
• If you want it to self-seed, wait to mow until the seed is black and ripe.
• While tidying, chop off runners that have crept in among other plants.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow where it is to grow in March–April or in September, barely covering the seed. Germination can be slow: keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear.

Division

In March–April or in October, chop off a piece with rhizome from the edge of the clump and replant it elsewhere.

Lady’s bedstraw: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection needed.
• The stems largely die back; the rhizomes overwinter in the soil.
• Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than frost: choose a free-draining spot.

Diseases and pests

• Spreading: In a small border it grows over lower plants. Chop off the rhizomes, or give it a spot where it may spread.
• Weak growth: Soil that is too rich or too much shade. Do not feed, and choose a sunny, poor spot.
• Crowded out by grass: In rich grassland the grass wins. Remove the cuttings and reduce soil fertility.
• Large caterpillars: Caterpillars with eyespots or a small horn belong to the elephant hawk-moth or the hummingbird hawk-moth. Leave them: they are special guests.

Through the year

• March: Cut back old stems. Sow or plant.
• April: Sow or plant. Chop off runners that spread too far.
• June: First yellow sprays. Small insects on the flowers.
• July: Full flower; on warm days you can smell the honey scent.
• August: Flowering. Look out for hummingbird hawk-moth caterpillars.
• September: Last flowers. Sow.
• October: Cut back faded stems or mow the meadow. Plant or divide.

Edible and useful

Flowers (June–August)

In June, July and August, on a dry day, cut the flowering tops of the stems: the bright yellow plumes smell of honey, and dried, the herb smells of hay. In the past it was used to curdle milk and to colour cheese yellow; at home the curdling is unpredictable, so here it is mainly used for its scent: in a mild tea, or infused in milk for a fresh cheese. Never cut a whole plant and leave plenty of flowers for small bees and hoverflies, and for the caterpillars of the hummingbird hawk-moth.

Storing

Tie small bunches and hang them upside down somewhere dark, dry and airy for a week or two. Then strip the leaves and flowers from the stems and keep them in a closed jar away from the light: they keep for a year. Eat fresh cheese within 3 days.

Caution: Use lady’s bedstraw in moderation: as a tea, a cup now and then, as little is known about large amounts. Only pick it from your own garden or wildflower meadow, not in nature reserves or along roads. Only cut plants you recognise with certainty, with whorls of narrow, needle-like leaves and plumes of tiny yellow flowers with four lobes, and check your bunch carefully: poisonous yellow flowers such as common ragwort also grow in wildflower meadows and must not get mixed in.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Lady’s bedstraw tea (Tea · 1 teapot (± 500 ml) · 15 min)
• Fresh cheese with lady’s bedstraw (Dish · ± 200 g · 45 min + 30 min draining)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Dried bedstraw was once used to stuff mattresses because of its pleasant hay scent, which is where the name lady’s bedstraw comes from.
• It was once used to curdle milk for cheese-making and to colour cheese yellow.
• The caterpillar of the hummingbird hawk-moth, a day-flying moth that hovers in front of flowers like a hummingbird, lives on bedstraws.