Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale)
Walking down the trails and lanes in our forest home you are likely to see the billowy clouds of white flowers of the Northern Bedstraw
As the name suggest it had a use by the early settlers in their mattresses and pillow stuffing.
It would be combined with it's close relative the sweet scented bedstraw which, when dried, has a scent resembling vanilla.
This also made good bedding for the cattle.
Sweet Scented Bedstraw (Galium triflorum)
Another popular use was to make a true red dye, prized by the Great Plains Indian and also prized over in Scotland and Britain where they almost depleted the area of the shields gathering theses red dye producing roots for their Elizabethan party clothes!
The Native people combined the fine roots with wood ash and strawberry juice, being careful not to boiled their concoction too long or it would become a yellow dye.
The Cree used the roots combined with high bush cranberries to produce the red dye.
The young plants can be cooked as a potherb, served hot with butter or cooled and put in salads.
Bedstraw seeds make a good coffee substitute
Being in the same family as the coffee plant, the seeds can be roasted for a good coffee substitute.
Most powerful in a juice form, the bedstraw juice was used for healing wounds or used as a wash for skin problems including rashes, excema and for sunburn.
Poultices of the fresh herb can help reduce tumors.
You can make yourself a hotpack or foot bath with it for those sore aching muscles and sip a cup of tea made from leaves and flowers.
It tastes somewhat like green tea and has a diuretic effect. It is used for urinary tract and kidney problems, also to relieve diarrhea.
It is a relaxing cooling drink sometimes used for insomnia and as a cleanser. Using it for weight loss, the acids in it speeds up the metabolism of stored fat.
Bedstraw is often included in formulas for treating enlarged thyroids which is accompanied by obesity and water retention.
There is a warning when drinking the tea continuously, it can irritate the mouth and tongue. Also it is not suggested for people prone to diabetes.
Bedstraw can be used like yarrow to stop nosebleeds by crushing it up and putting it in the nose.
Plus historically, it had been boiled and used as a wash to remove freckles.
There you have it, a very versatile plant that is also lovely in wild flower bouquets or folks are cultivating it to use in their gardens for a lovely display and also to attract bees and butterflies.
Photo of Northern Bedstraw is my original.
Photo of the Sweet Scented Bedstraw is from the Wisconsin State Herbarium by Kenneth J. Sytsma
Cup of coffee was from Graphic Stock
I love engaging with folks here so please feel free to leave any comments or questions,
if you found this post beneficial an Upvote is appreciated.
Please don’t hesitate to follow me here on steemit at @porters
