Cleavers (Galium aparine) is an herbaceous annual plant from the Rubeaceae family. It has many common names including clivers, goose grass, sticky willy, coachweed, catchweed, robin-run-the-hedge, stickybud, stickyjack, grip grass and stickeljack.
This plant is found widespread throughout the world and popularly known for the annoying habit of sticking to clothing. The stems grow along the ground, up and over anything in its path. It can easily smother a low growing plant or shrub. It is listed as a weed in many places.
Cleavers is native to the British Isles, Europe, North Africa and Asia. It has naturalised in many other countries including the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Growing methods
Seeds are produced readily (300-400 seeds per plant) and spread easily by sticking to animals and human clothing. They can remain viable in the soil for up to six years. They are best sown fresh during from August until September when the seed is ripe. Plants are quick to establish and will grow to 1.2 metres in height, spreading to around 3 metres.
Cleavers will grow on most soil types, in the sun or shade and can often be found on ground that has been disturbed, back gardens, waste land, hedgerows, cultivated and uncultivated land. Plants are frost hardy and in flower from June to August. If you already have some in your garden, cleavers will continue to come up of its own accord so there is no need to fuss about growing it.
Other uses
Gardeners may consider it a weed but, as is the case with so-called 'weeds', it is a resilient useful edible and medicinal plant. It is used in herbal and homeopathic medicine. The root can be used as a permanent red dye. A thick layer of the stems can be used as a rough sieve. The stems have been used in the past as a stuffing for mattresses. Stems can also be used as tinder to light fires. The bristles on the plant make it useful to clean sticky hands of tar. An infusion of the plant can be used as a hair rinse. It is useful to wildlife; it is pollinated by insects and is food for some butterfly larvae.
Issues
Covered with rough hairs and containing and irritating sap, this plant can cause contact dermititis.
Raw edible parts
The whole plant is edible raw and can be made into a beneficial green tea. However, the aerial parts of this plant contains hooked hairs, like Velcro, which can be rough and irritating. It is best, therefore, to eat the young parts of the plant such as the top 10-20cm of the growing tips and ground shoots.
The whole plant dries well and can be used for the winter months when the top of the plant dies down and is not available. The seeds can be dry roasted to make a coffee substitute. The shoots have historically been used as a pot herb. The flowers used to be used to curdle milk in cheese making.
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| Cleavers (Galium aparine) |
This plant is found widespread throughout the world and popularly known for the annoying habit of sticking to clothing. The stems grow along the ground, up and over anything in its path. It can easily smother a low growing plant or shrub. It is listed as a weed in many places.
Cleavers is native to the British Isles, Europe, North Africa and Asia. It has naturalised in many other countries including the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Growing methods
Seeds are produced readily (300-400 seeds per plant) and spread easily by sticking to animals and human clothing. They can remain viable in the soil for up to six years. They are best sown fresh during from August until September when the seed is ripe. Plants are quick to establish and will grow to 1.2 metres in height, spreading to around 3 metres.
Cleavers will grow on most soil types, in the sun or shade and can often be found on ground that has been disturbed, back gardens, waste land, hedgerows, cultivated and uncultivated land. Plants are frost hardy and in flower from June to August. If you already have some in your garden, cleavers will continue to come up of its own accord so there is no need to fuss about growing it.
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Other uses
Gardeners may consider it a weed but, as is the case with so-called 'weeds', it is a resilient useful edible and medicinal plant. It is used in herbal and homeopathic medicine. The root can be used as a permanent red dye. A thick layer of the stems can be used as a rough sieve. The stems have been used in the past as a stuffing for mattresses. Stems can also be used as tinder to light fires. The bristles on the plant make it useful to clean sticky hands of tar. An infusion of the plant can be used as a hair rinse. It is useful to wildlife; it is pollinated by insects and is food for some butterfly larvae.
Issues
Covered with rough hairs and containing and irritating sap, this plant can cause contact dermititis.
Raw edible parts
The whole plant is edible raw and can be made into a beneficial green tea. However, the aerial parts of this plant contains hooked hairs, like Velcro, which can be rough and irritating. It is best, therefore, to eat the young parts of the plant such as the top 10-20cm of the growing tips and ground shoots.
The whole plant dries well and can be used for the winter months when the top of the plant dies down and is not available. The seeds can be dry roasted to make a coffee substitute. The shoots have historically been used as a pot herb. The flowers used to be used to curdle milk in cheese making.