Field Madder

Sherardia arvensis

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Gentianales

Family:

Rubiaceae (Bedstraw)

Also in this family:

Caucasian Crosswort, Common Cleavers, Common Madder, Corn Cleavers, Crosswort, False Cleavers, Fen Bedstraw, Great Marsh Bedstraw, Heath Bedstraw, Hedge Bedstraw, Lady's Bedstraw, Limestone Bedstraw, Marsh Bedstraw, Northern Bedstraw, Pink Woodruff, Slender Bedstraw, Slender Marsh Bedstraw, Squinancywort, Sweet Woodruff, Upright Hedge Bedstraw, Wall Bedstraw, Wild Madder

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Annual

Maximum Size:

40 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Cliffs, farmland, grassland, hedgerows, lawns, roadsides, sand dunes, wasteland.

Flower:

Pink, 4 petals

Tiny pale pink, 4 petals, surrounded by leaf-like bracts.

Fruit:

Egg-shaped, up to 3mm long, with 2 lobes that separate into oblong and slightly curved nutlets upon ripening.

Leaves:

The leaves are in whorls of 4 to 6 along the stems. Each leaf is linear and pointed, up to 8mm long.

Other Names:

Blue Field Madder, Herb Sherard, Meadow Bedstraw, Spurwort.

Frequency (UK):

Common

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map