Cleavers Plant Medicine

It typically grows in dense mats in woodlands farmlands and town or country gardens.

Cleavers plant medicine. Cleavers have historically been known as a medicinal plant although it is food too. To make a poultice the entire plant is used and applied directly to the affected area. Its chopped leaves and stem can be made into soups and stews. As a pulp it has been used to relieve poisonous bites and stings.

Fruits of the cleavers can be collected and dried then roasted for use as a coffee substitute. Galium aparine commonly known as cleavers is an herbaceous annual plant from the rubiaceae family of flowering plants which also includes gardenia and noni the plant is native to wide region of europe north africa and asia from britain and the canary islands to japan. It can be used on bread in sandwiches and sautéed. Cleavers herb which is known scientifically as galium aparine has long been used in alternative medicine and is still used by herbalists today.

The whole plant is rich in vitamin c. Folk herbalists have treasured cleavers throughout history for its amazing rejuvenating plant medicine. The tender shoots can be boiled and buttered as a vegetable. With its tiny star shaped white blossoms and slender green leaves the cleavers herb can be found growing freely in fields forests and around gardens in north america europe asia and parts of.

The plant s hook like bristles soften when boiled. Cleavers belongs to the coffee family and its seeds have been ground to make cleavers coffee. Cleavers is an abundant plant easy to find and identify and cheap to purchase which makes it a great plant to get to know. The infusion of plant was used as a bath by women who wished to be successful in love.

Cleavers herb contains many health boosting properties such as anti inflammatory diuretic and febrifuge abilities. A red dye is obtained from a decoction of the root it is said to dye bones red. The leaves and stems can be used as leaf vegetable although it is very sticky so it will not blend well in a salad. Poultices and washes made from cleavers were traditionally used to treat a variety of skin ailments light wounds and burns.

If you find cleavers growing in your back yard or a nearby field count yourself blessed. Gerard writes of cleavers as a marvelous remedy for the bites of snakes spiders and all venomous creatures. Encyclopedia of herbal medicine by andrew chevallier fnimh natural herbal living magazine. Cleavers ability to spread rapidly even becoming invasive has earned it a reputation for being a tenacious weed.

Nutritional profile of cleavers. Cleavers is a versatile herb from the rubiaceae family of flowering plants which also includes gardenia and noni. Cleavers tend to grow in open fields thickets woods and on shores where there are other plants to cleave to.