Cleavers

Galium aparine

Cleavers

Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a delightful weed that is commonly found in fields across Europe and North America. It is a climbing weed, with whorled leaves and leggy stalks that are covered with hooked bristles that enable it to attach to other objects and passers-by, allowing ease of spread and seed dispersal. Cleavers is in the coffee family, and the mature seeds were roasted and used as a coffee substitute in rural Sweden. The young green tops were juiced and used as a cleansing spring tonic, providing fresh nutrients and chlorophyll after a long winter.* The tops were also used to make skin washes and poultices to support chapped and compromised skin.* It was also used for snake and spider bites, earaches, and to maintain a healthy weight.*