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Crosswort

©Bruce Shortland

Crosswort

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Enw gwyddonol: Cruciata laevipes
Crosswort gets its name from the position of its leaves - they surround the stem in groups of four, making a cross shape. The tiny, yellow flowers sit atop these crosses and bloom from April to June.

Top facts

Stats

Height: up to 50cm

Conservation status

Common.

Pryd i'w gweld

April to June

Ynghylch

The small, pale yellow flowers of Crosswort can be seen in grassy woodland rides, hedgerows and roadside verges between April and June. They appear up the length of the stem, surrounding the distinctive, cross-like arrangement of its leaves that give this plant its name. Crosswort prefers chalky or neutral soils and spreads using rhizomes (stems); it is a member of the bedstraw family.

What to look for

The tiny, yellow flowers of Crosswort appear up the stem. They surround whorls of four leaves that sit around the stem in a cross shape. The other yellow-flowered member of the bedstraw family, Lady's Bedstraw, has clusters of flowers at the ends of its stems, giving it a more 'frothy' appearance.

Where to find

Found throughout mainland UK, particularly in Northern and Eastern England.

Roeddech chi yn gwybod?

The tiny flowers of Crosswort have a honey-like scent.