Lady's bedstraw

Galium verum

flower · infusion

Yellow flowers with a honey scent, as tea; they curdled milk and colored Cheshire cheese.

Origin

Europe and Asia

Where to find it

In dry meadows, on banks and coastal dunes; it blooms in midsummer along almost every country lane.

Season (United States)

June to August

Preparation

One teaspoon of dried flowers per cup, five to ten minutes in barely simmering water; the infusion is strained and the flowers discarded.

Did you know?

Its name comes from the Greek gala, “milk”: it was a plant rennet.