Bedstraw (galium)

The grass is widespread in Russia and some other European countries. It is also known under the names of gallium, honeydew, yellow porridge. Depending on the species, it can be used as a spice, medicinal plant or honey plant.

• Bedstraw is a branching herbaceous plant. Several stems usually come from one rhizome.
• Some species grow into bushes reaching a meter height.
• The stem is tetrahedral.
• The leaves are oblong, pointed. They grow in nodes of 4-10 pieces.
• Galium blooms in white, yellow or pink.
• The flowers are small, with thin petals, shaped like stars.
• On one stem there can be up to several hundred inflorescences collected in long panicles.
• The plant blooms almost all summer.

About four hundred species of bedstraw have been described in the scientific literature.

Here are the most common ones:

• Real - Widespread in Europe and Asia. Reaches 1.2 meters in height. It grows in open places accessible to the sun - in meadows, clearings and along roads. Flowering continues from mid-summer to early autumn. This species has found application in honey growing, farming and some types of industry.
• The thinnest - This is an annual plant that grows in large numbers in sparse forests and along roadsides. Blooms throughout the summer. This type of bedstraw belongs to weeds and is not used in any way on the farm.
• Fragrant prefers to hide from the sun in the forest.Low grass, growing, covers the ground with a carpet. Blooms in May and blooms until mid-summer. Inflorescences are white, with a pleasant aroma. During the flowering period, the plant is harvested, dried and used later as a healing agent or a fragrant food supplement.
• Tenacious grows on the territory of Eurasia, in regions with a flat, cool climate. It has small, hard spines, from which it got its name. Refers to weeds.
• Northern grows in open places - on lawns, forest glades, along rivers, on hillsides. It has a pleasant, delicate aroma. The plant contains many useful substances. It is used in dairy farming and in folk medicine.

Galium is most common in Eurasia, but is also found in the wild in North America and even in African countries.

Most species of this plant prefer to grow in an open area accessible to the sun's rays. Therefore, most often the bedstraw can be found in meadows, glades, forest edges, along rivers and roads.

This grass thrives best in an even, mild climate with moderate levels of humidity.

• pleasant, honey smell;
• white, yellow or pink;
• bitter, tart taste.

Bedstraw is harvested during the flowering period, which, depending on the type of plant, can last from late May to early September. On the farm, only bedstraw flowers are used, so only panicles of inflorescences are cut. Collected flowers must be dried in a dry, well-ventilated area, it is also possible on the street.

In order for the inflorescences to dry evenly, you need to spread them out in a thin layer on paper or natural matter.You can also tie the grass into bunches of several pieces and leave to dry by hanging on hooks or stretched ropes.

• vitamin C;
• lemon acid;
• gallotannic acid;
• flavonoids;
• carotene;
• essential oil;
• pigments;
• rubber;
• tannins;
• iron;
• manganese;
• strontium;
• vanadium;
• copper;
• zinc;
• gallium;
• molybdenum;
• nickel;
• chromium;
• titanium.

• strengthens the immune system;
• relieves skin inflammation;
• disinfects;
• calms the nervous system;
• has a diuretic and choleretic effect;
• helps to get rid of excess fluid in the body;
• able to compensate for the lack of estrogen;
• is both a laxative and astringent;
• relieves pain;
• helps stop bleeding.

• due to the strong diuretic effect, the bedstraw should not be taken by people with diabetes;
• pregnant women and young children are not recommended to use the bedstraw inside, due to its fixing effect;
• since this plant is poisonous, the dosage must be strictly observed.

• gallium contains an enzyme that helps curdle milk, so this plant is popular with cheesemakers;
• for flavor, bedstraw is added to tea and hot alcohol-based drinks;
• fresh bedstraw greens can be chopped into vegetable dishes;
• spicy taste and aroma will allow you to add bedstraw to confectionery, for example, to pudding.

Bedstraw can be used to treat the following ailments:

• sunburn;
• poorly healing wounds;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• external bleeding;
• intestinal and stomach colic;
• headache;
• convulsions;
• nervous excitement;
• fever;
• colds;
• conjunctivitis;
• various skin lesions;
• thyroid disease.

For medicinal purposes, a decoction made from dried gallium flowers is usually used. It can be used both internally and externally - in the form of compresses or douches.

Bedstraw decoction helps to get rid of a variety of diseases, it is only important to brew and take it according to all the rules. To prepare a decoction, dried and crushed flowering parts of the plant are needed.

• For skin diseases and also in case of poisoning, it is necessary to pour 1 tbsp. bedstraw 0.5 l of boiling water, let it brew for 4 hours and strain. Three times a day, shortly before meals, you should drink half a glass of decoction.
• For kidney diseases the decoction is prepared as follows: 2 tsp. bedstraw flowers pour a glass of boiling water and leave in a warm place. When the broth cools, it is filtered and taken 1 tbsp. three times per day
• With edemacaused by disorders in the work of the heart or kidneys, you need to brew 1 tbsp. dry grass in 0.5 liters of boiling water, leave for 4 hours, then strain. Three times a day, before meals, you should drink half a glass of decoction.
• For skin lesions 2 tsp bedstraw should be poured with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for 3 hours. Divide the decoction into three doses and drink throughout the day.
• With dysmenorrhea 2 tbsp herbs are steamed with 0.5 liters of boiling water, infused for an hour and filtered. Take half a glass 3 times a day before meals.
• For nervous disorders a decoction is prepared from 10 grams of grass and 1 liter of boiling water. Infuse for 10 minutes, then filter and cool. Take a glass three times a day.
• With purulent inflammation on the skin, you can prepare an ointment from the herb of bedstraw and butter.The ingredients should be mixed in a ratio of 1:5 and left in a cool, dark place for 5 days.

Bedstraw contains a natural red pigment, so this plant has been used since ancient times for dyeing fabrics - cotton, wool and silk. Depending on the material, the dye prepared on the basis of the bedstraw gives the fabrics a purple, pink, red or orange color. In some European countries, cheeses are colored using a special composition of bedstraw.

• For people who practice magical rites, gallium is a "feminine" plant associated with the moon. Amulets are made from it, which should protect female power and motherhood.
• In pagan beliefs, the bedstraw decorates the altar as an offering to the gods, as it is a honey plant.