Description

Cleavers – (Galium aparine) Out in the wild, the Cleavers plant is known as clingy – little tiny hooks cover its stems, leaves, and fruits resulting in many nicknames like Sticky Weed, Grip Grass and Sticky-willie, among others. Cleavers is an annual, but a pretty aggressive one, and tends to take over wherever it grows. It has been used medicinally since at least the 1st century in ancient Greece and Rome as mentioned by both Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides. In these early texts, Cleavers was most often referred to for topical uses in staunching wounds and treating snake and other types of bites. It is still believed to have benefits for the skin and sometimes used topically, but it’s more often consumed as a tea or even as a seasoning for food. Cleavers has a fresh, mildly bitter flavor.

Common names: Bedstraw, Stickyweed, Grip Grass and Sticky-willie