top of page

Bedstraw have long,feeble green stems that have tiny white flowers which grow in fluffy bunches.  The edge of the leaves are rough and the rectangular prism stem is prickly.  It is prickled with reverse hooks like a porcupine. 

Bedstraw likes moist, shaded areas.  Hedges and waste places are some various places you might find them.  Bedstraw likes the acidity between 5.5 and 8.0 

Bedstraw is edible and has a very sweet smell and taste.  The leaves and stem can be cooked as a leaf veggie before the fruit arrive.  The seed can be roasted as a non-caffeine coffee. 

Poultices of Bedstraw are transitionally used to treat skin ailments, light wounds, and burns.  The pulp have been used to relieve poisonous bites and stings.  Tea from bedstraw stimulate the drainage of the lymph tissue.

Bedstraw can cause contact dermatitis(which gives you a red rash, this is very common.)  Shepard's  use bedstraw's barbed stem to make a rough sieve.  The rough sieve is thought to filter milk and give it the power of healing. In Europe dried matted foliage are used to fill mattresses.  The root of the bedstraw is used to make a permanent red dye.

Native Americans bathed woman in bedstraw to successfully be in love.  Several Native American tribes used bedstraw to cure gonorrhea.  Bedstraw is nicknamed "Velcro" because it is like Velcro, sticking to animals and humans passing by. The maker of Velcro also looked at this plant because of that attribute.

The stem grows up to 3 feet!

Press The Button below to go back to the homepage.

Can the horehound cough drops be in any forms other than a regular cough drop shapes? 

bottom of page