Found in prairie area in north eastern Illinois, Chicago area

Was it sticky? looks a bit like cleavers , but some how not quite.

A Galium of some kind, perhaps.

My first reaction was Galium as well but the leaves are maybe too narrow and kind of sparse.

I thought Galium as well, but wasn't sure. There are very fine hairs along the stem.

We do have wild Galium here as well as some sweet woodruff that I intentionally planted (did not turn out well) but even the wild stuff is different than the pics.

It does resemble Galium, two for comparison:

Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale)


Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Really not much to go by in the photo, how tall? this late in the year, no evidence of flowering? I've never seen any galium species that only had opposite leaves without any whorls, as in the photo.

It looks a lot more like Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum), but I am not convinced of that either.

You know, when you say Pycnathemum virginianum (Virginia Mountain Mint) I think that's what it must be. It didn't have a a flower, but it my just be a young offshoot or seedling.

Thanks so much for all your help, Everyone!!!

Good eye @Leftwood!

Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

Ah - an IL wildflower.