Cleavers the Sticky Weed!

Day 1 is all about Cleavers. Print a blank Herb Study Sheet from the Printable Resource section to fill out as you go.

Either read the following first or click on the video first, your choice.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) is also known as sticky weed. This common weed is easy to identify because it sticks or "cleaves" to you as you touch it. Many other plants can stick to you as well but those usually have briars, thorns or velcro-like burrs. Cleavers has STICKY hairs!

Cleavers is found in gardens and edges of forests near other lush spring greens such as chickweed, henbit, clover. The leaves are in WHORLS all around the stem. Just gently grab several stems at a time and clip just above ground level. No need to pull up the plant by its roots. Doing a few at a time, while taking a bit longer, will ensure a clean harvest and you won't have to pick out bits of pine straw, grass or dirt later.

In botany, a whorl or verticil is an arrangement of leaves, sepals, petals, stamens, or carpels that radiate from a single point and surround or wrap around the stem or stalk.



This little weed is edible raw or cooked but because of its texture, it is best cooked.

Medicinally, cleavers help to move lymph fluid throughout the body, alleviating stagnation of fluids and toxins. This in turn strengthens the immune system. Cleavers has diuretic action which flushes excess fluids from the body - it makes you pee but NOT as strong as dandelion in that action.

So you have some homework!

1. Fill out your Herb Study Sheet, adding in other common names for cleavers that YOU research and draw a picture of cleavers in the picture box or take a photo and glue it on the paper.
2. Watch the Identification Video
3. Harvest some Cleavers
4. Watch the Sticky Weed Pasta Video
5. Make your pasta and enjoy!