Catchweed bedstraw

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Galium aparine

Native Colorado plant · not on state Lists A/B/C. C-floristic-2020 CO-rules-2025

Hooked hairs and burrs cling to fur and clothing. Exposure help.

Identification caveat: Use Galium aparine for evidence matching. A common name such as goosegrass can also refer to unrelated grasses.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for Dogs & cats, Other animals. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.

Galium aparine: Small white flowers and rounded young fruits at the tip of a prickly leafy shoot. — **flowers and young fruit** — Small white flowers and rounded young fruits at the tip of a prickly leafy shoot.
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not an independent specimen-based taxonomic determination. Other bedstraws can have similar whorled leaves. The source identification is retained, with prickles and paired bristly fruits shown where visible.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative; no local crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Galium aparine: A whorl of narrow leaves viewed from below, with small backward-pointing prickles along the margins. — **leaf whorl** — A whorl of narrow leaves viewed from below, with small backward-pointing prickles along the margins.
Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia · CC BY 2.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not an independent specimen-based taxonomic determination. Other bedstraws can have similar whorled leaves. The source identification is retained, with prickles and paired bristly fruits shown where visible.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative; no local crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Galium aparine: Paired, bristly dry fruits remaining on a network of thin stems in winter. — **dry fruits** — Paired, bristly dry fruits remaining on a network of thin stems in winter.
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not an independent specimen-based taxonomic determination. Other bedstraws can have similar whorled leaves. The source identification is retained, with prickles and paired bristly fruits shown where visible.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative; no local crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Identification

A weak-stemmed annual that climbs through other plants. Narrow leaves occur in whorls, typically six to eight; stems and fruits carry hooked hairs. Tiny flowers are pale and four-petaled. N-galium-aparine

People

Scratchy stems and burrs catch on clothing and skin. Gloves are a practical handling precaution. N-galium-aparine

Evidence scope: Mechanical-contact precaution.

Dogs & cats

Bristly fruits attach to fur. Check animals after moving through patches; the source does not establish pet ingestion toxicity or a frequency of injury. N-galium-aparine

Evidence scope: Mechanical-contact precaution; clinical evidence unresolved.

Other animals

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for livestock. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Plants & habitat

It scrambles through vegetation in woods, floodplains and disturbed sites. CNHP treats it as native in Colorado; other sources discuss uncertainty over its broader origin. N-galium-aparine C-floristic-2020

Management & timing

Pull young unwanted plants before flowering. Fragile stems can break and leave roots behind, so check for regrowth. N-galium-aparine

Before taking action

Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27

References

C-floristic-2020 — Colorado Floristic Quality Assessment: 2020 Update, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:27:33+00:00. Locator: Appendix B, Colorado species list: scientific name and native/non-native fields.
CO-rules-2025 — Colorado Noxious Weed Act rules, 8 CCR 1206-2, Colorado Secretary of State / Department of Agriculture. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:07:48+00:00. Locator: Parts 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; management provisions; effective May 15, 2025.
N-galium-aparine — Galium aparine, NC State Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:23:12+00:00. Locator: Description, identification attributes and plant problems; toxicity section where present.
S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:46:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.