Common & scientific name
Northern bedstraw, Galium boreale
Family
Madder, Rubiaceae
Location
Aspen grove below Highway 82, 8,600’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Northern bedstraw’s four-petaled leaves, square stems, and groups of four leaves attached directly to the stem, evenly spaced like a spoke of wheels (“whorled”), make it unmistakeable. It is sweet-smelling and edible.