Common Cleavers
Galium aparine
Cleavers have long, creeping stems ringed by circles of narrow, bright-green leaves. The angular stems can reach up to three feet long. The oblong leaves surround the stems in whorls of six to eight. The leaves and stems are covered in small hooked hairs which cling to anything they touch. The plant’s tiny, star-shaped flowers, which emerge from the top of the stems in clusters of 2-3, have four petals and are green to white in color. The plant’s rounded fruits are burrs, which grow in clusters of one to three seeds.
Basic Information
Member of the Rubiaceae family, which includes the coffee plant
Whether or not this species is native to the United States is still a debate; however, enough literature considers it naturalized that we shall, for our purposes, consider it native
Habitat
Native to a wide region of Europe, North Africa and Asia from Britain and the Canary Islands to Japan
The species is naturalized throughout most of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, some oceanic islands and areas in Africa
Commonly found in moist, shady areas in a variety of habitats
Ecological Role
Many insects, such as aphids and spittlebugs, feed on cleavers
Geese frequently consume G. aparine, which gave it the name "goosegrass"
Reproduction
Blooms in early spring
visited by a variety of insects, but mainly self-pollinating
Reproduces by burrs
Alternative Names
Hitchhikers, cleavers, clivers, bedstraw, (small) goosegrass (not to be confused with other plants known as goosegrass), catchweed, stickyweed, sticky bob, stickybud, stickyback, sticky molly, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy, sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, grip grass, sticky grass, bobby buttons, whippysticks, and velcro plant
Historical Uses
Because cleavers have such an extensive range, their historical uses are not limited to those by Native Americans
Medicinal uses:
Poultices and washes were traditionally used to treat a variety of skin ailments, light wounds and burns
To make a poultice, the entire plant is applied directly to the affected area
The pulp was used to relieve poisonous bites and stings
Greek shepherds would use the cleavers’ stems to make a sieve, which could be used to strain milk
In Europe, the clinging branches were used to fill mattresses because they maintained a uniform thickness
Roots of cleavers can be used to make a permanent red dye
Additional Information
The name Galium is derived from the Greek word for ‘milk,’ because the flowers of sister-species Galium verum were used to curdle milk in cheese making
The name Aparine was coined by Theophrastus and it means 'clinging' or 'seizing' in ancient Greek
The fruits of the cleavers have been dried and roasted as a coffee substitute which contains less caffeine
The leaves and stems of the plant are edible and can be cooked as a leaf vegetable if gathered before the fruits appear. However, the numerous small hooks which cover the plant make it less palatable raw
