Bedstraw, Lady’s (Galium verum) Seeds

Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) is one of the most reliably attractive native perennials for a dry, sunny bank or meadow edge. Low and sprawling in habit, it produces dense clusters of small golden-yellow flowers from June through to September — one of the longest flowering periods of any native species. The flowers have a distinctive honey-like scent, particularly noticeable on warm evenings.

It is well suited to dry, free-draining soils — chalk, limestone, sandy ground, and coastal calcareous soils — and is a strong indicator species for low-nutrient, traditionally managed grassland. On suitable ground it spreads gently by rhizome, forming dense mats that suppress weeds and provide good ground-level cover for insects.

An important nectar source for small bees, hoverflies, and moths. The seed heads provide late-season food for finches and buntings. Historically, the dried plant was used to curdle milk for cheese-making — a useful indicator of just how widely it was once encountered in traditional farming landscapes.

Sow in autumn into a firm, exposed seedbed on low-nutrient soil. Cold stratification over winter improves germination rates. Suited to meadow species introduction, chalk grassland restoration, and dry bank planting.

Sourced from UK meadows. Sold as single-species seed.