Bedstraw is one of a group of plants that were once used for mattresses. They are slender herbs with square stems. Their leaves grow in whorls (circles) of four to eight at each joint of the stem. The tiny white or brownish flowers have three or four petals. The seed pod, often bristly, has two ball-shaped sections that split apart when ripe. Each section contains one seed.
Bedstraws grow wild in woods and marshes. They are often cultivated in gardens and used in bouquets because of their delicate appearance.
