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Bluntleaf Bedstraw

Galium obtusum

52
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 1.5 feet
Light
Up to 6 hours of direct sun
Soil moisture
Average to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
Mid spring
Fruiting season
Spring to summer

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 43 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 134 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

9CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Galium

  • Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
  • Costaconvexa centrostrigariaBent-Lined Carpet
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Lobocleta ossulariaDrab Brown Wave
  • Nathalis ioleDainty Sulphur, Dwarf Yellow
  • Orthonama obstipataThe Gem
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
  • Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Galium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
8BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Galium

  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Coturnicops noveboracensisYellow Rail
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
  • Fulica americanaAmerican Coot
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rubiaceae
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Mid spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “White” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “About 1.5 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
Also known as

Blunt Leaf Bedstraw

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources