Height: 30 inches
Spread: 3 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Other Names: Lady's Bedstraw
Description:
A somewhat weedy variety with erect and sprawling stems, bearing fragrant, bright yellow flower clusters in summer; naturalized throughout much of North America, it is considered a noxious invasive weed in many places; take care with placement
Ornamental Features
Yellow Spring Bedstraw features showy clusters of fragrant yellow star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. Its fragrant needle-like leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season. It produces black capsules from late summer to early fall.
Landscape Attributes
Yellow Spring Bedstraw is a dense herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Spreading
- Invasive
- Self-Seeding
Yellow Spring Bedstraw is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Yellow Spring Bedstraw will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under typical garden conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.
Yellow Spring Bedstraw is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
