Another plant classified as a weed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cleavers – also known as Galium aparine, bedstraw and scarthgrass – an herb that may have potent medicinal qualities both when used internally and externally. The leaves are simple, and are arranged around the stems in whorls (of 6 to 8). Cleavers are also known as "lady's bedstraw" because during the middle ages it was dried and used for mattress stuffing. The stems used to be fashioned into mat that would serve as a sieve, through which fresh milk could be filtered and infused with the health-giving properties of the plant. While the leaves and stems are eaten fresh on spring salads, dried cleavers herb is commonly tinctured, steeped as tea, or … Young shoots have long been a popular cleansing tonic in the spring since it appears very early (a remedy long used in central Europe and the Balkans). Bedstraw, (genus Galium), also called cleavers, plant genus of about 400 species of low-growing annual or perennial herbs in the madder family (Rubiaceae). Lady’s Bedstraw is a slightly bitter remedy used mainly as a diuretic, but also for skin conditions and other disorders. The plant can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The bedstraws are sometimes used by herbalists and can also be used to make a red dye. The "stickiness" of the tiny balls of the fruit as they "cleave" to one's clothing is a dispersal strategy that many plants have evolved. There are two closely related species of cleavers classified in the Galium genus, which share the same medicinal potential: G. odoratum (sweet woodruff) and G. verum (lady's bedstraw). The plant’s sticky nature comes from tiny hooked hairs growing out from the leaves and ridges of the stems. Ceanothus and phytolacca are both exotics to me, and I have cleavers and yellow bedstraw all over the place - the cleavers in damp meadows and vegetable plots, and the yellow bedstraw on dry meadows. Also known as Galium aparine, bedstraw, goosegrass, and catchweed, this is an annual plant from the Rubiaceae family.Cleavers supplement are known for their sprawling stems, which make their way along the ground and over other plants. REFERENCES: Deliorman, D., Çaliþ, Ý., and Ergun, F. Iridoids from Galium aparine. Because of the plants tendency to bind together due to tiny little hooks located on the plants stem and leaves, cleavers is commonly used in binding spells and matters of commitment. In fact, it clings so well you dont have to take a bag with you to collect it. Also makes a great hay for your animals, esp. Cleavers is often taken as a diuretic, but it is also effective to soothe such skin disorders as seborrhea, eczema, and psoriasis, as well as for sunburn and blisters. bedstraws are slender, sprawling herbs that have square stems (in cross-section) and they belong to the genus GALIUM. A somewhat weedy species, annual bedstraw or cleavers is easily recognized due to the velcro-like nature of the hooked hairs found all over the square stems and slender leaves. That means cleavers is the weakest lymphatic of those three. Contact us | Hair rinses from the infusions are used to treat dandruff or scaling scalp problems. Juice is obtained from the fresh plant and used in such serious illnesses, as cancer, and as a strong diuretic to rid the body of toxins. The plant can be found throughout Europe, except in Lapland and arctic Russia. Lady’s Bedstraw is a slightly bitter remedy used mainly as a diuretic, but also for skin conditions and other disorders. In France, Lady’s Bedstraw has a longstanding reputation for being a valuable herb used for epilepsy, but it is rarely used for that today. Covered with a multitude of small hooks, Goosegrass, Galium aparine (GAY-lee-um ap-ar-EYE-nee) clings onto almost everything it touches. The pinnate-shape leaves of Galium aparine grow in whorls of 4 to 8 around its stem, which can get up to 6 feet long. It hates to let go of anything (which means a ball of i… Cleavers, Galium aparine, is a member of the Bedstraw Family, Rubiaceae. Do not use if there are existing kidney problems. Pharmaceutical Biology 2001;39(3):234-235. Cleavers helps in treatment of Cancer. Livestock and birds relish its bitter flavour. You can use it as a tea also. Privacy Policy | Bedstraw often is an early colonizer of waste places, roadsides, and other disturbed sites; Summary: The mature plant has a distinctive sticky feeling and rings of 6-8 leaves on the prostrate or scrambling and climbing, square stems with curved spines on the angles. For educational purposes only. 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 is often used as a vegetable where it is gently sweated in a pan like spinach and can be continually harvested until fall. The whorls of leaves usually contain 6-8 thin , 1-nerved leaves from 1-4 cm in length. You are here: Home > Blog > A Guide to Wild Flowers of Woodland and Hedgerow > Bedstraws and cleavers. Cleavers Galium aparine (Stickywilly, Goosegrass) Introduced from Europe. People figure some things out for themselves and other things we learn by watching. Cleavers received its name from its ability to cling (or cleave) to fur or clothing. I usually just grab a bunch and touch it to my back pack. Cleavers. It has been cultivated for the purpose, but with little or no profit, as the roots are too small, though it has been used in the Hebrides for dyeing woollen stuffs red. Therefore, it should not be taken with other anticoagulant medications. The genus Galium belongs to the family RUBIACEAE, which includes the Gardenias,  Coffea (for coffee) and Cinchona (the bark of which yields quinine = Jesuits’ bark). Varieties and Subspecies of Cleaver Some Galium species, such G. verum (lady’s bedstraw) and G.odoratum (sweet woodruff, which has the largest leaves of the bedstraw family) are rich in a chemical – asperuloside, which gives a scent like that of newly mown hay or vanilla. It is also good for swollen lymph glands and as a general detoxifying agent in such serious illnesses as cancer. Chinese cleavers are graded for thickness from 1 through 4. Galium aparine ( aka goosegrass, kisses, cleavers, sticky bobs, sticky willy, sweethearts and robin run the hedge) is more common and is a ‘scrambler”; it is also an annual. Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a woodland bedstraw, which tends to form ‘a carpet’ and is a perennial. As a matter of fact, Cleavers stimulated the invention of Velcro. Cleavers anti tumor property helps ease swollen, sore Breasts, Congestion in the breast and Benign breast lumps. Magickal Uses Of Cleavers. Wild Edible & Medicinal Plant classes, & DVDs Lady’s Bedstraw was named for obvious reasons. Ancient Greek shepherds fashioned sieves from its vinelike stems; and, in some areas of Sweden, some dairy farmers still strain milk through such sieves. Infusions are taken for kidney stones and other urinary problems, as well as serving as a cooling drink for fevers. Found growing around the world, Galium aparine is an herbaceous annual in the Rubiaceae family. Cleavers (Bedstraw; Goose Grass) Share your photo. Disclaimer | It was also used on bruises, boils, and inflammations. The clever cleaver uses the sticky hairs to grow upward as it can cling to other plants, as well as fences and trees. The seeds when dried and lightly roasted are said to give a coffee-like drink. Dioscorides, a 1st century Greek physician, prescribed it for weariness. According to French research in 1947, an extract of cleavers appeared to lower blood pressure. Dried Cleavers – Shop Herbs Online. Cleavers tincture inhibits the division of Cancer cells. Galium aparine (aka goosegrass, kisses, cleavers, sticky bobs, sticky willy, sweethearts and robin run the hedge) is more common and is a ‘scrambler”; it is also an annual. © 2020 Woodland Investment Management Ltd | It is believed that the bed of baby Jesus was stuffed with Bedstraw. those producing milk. Related species in Mexico, G. orizabense, is used by the Mazatecs to treat intestinal parasites and relieve fever. It is Cleavers, Galium aparine, commonly known as Bedstraw, Goosegrass, Sticky Willie or Catchweed. As the plant dries, coumarin is released, containing as much as 1% in the freshly dried product. Catchweed bedstraw is known by many names around the world includ-ing cleavers, bedstraw, stickywilly, and “velcro plant.” Bedstraw is native to North America and can be found throughout California, particularly in moist, shady areas. Sweet woodruff has larger flowers and broader leaves than other bedstraws. This network can shade out other species beneath them, reducing competition for water and other nutrients. Cleavers definition is - an annual bedstraw (Galium aparine) having many stalked white flowers and stems covered with curved prickles; also : any of several related plants. It is thought that Virgin Mary prepared the manger by making a bed of Cleavers in it for baby Jesus. It is an annual with weak, often lax stems. Woodruff has long been used to flavour wines, as stated by Gerard; and the practice continues with it now being used mainly to flavour alcoholic beverages such as bitters, May wine, and vermouth. Instant stick. It is used in much the same way as Cleavers, but only if that herb is unavailable, since it is the preferred one of the species. Cleavers is a diaphoretic. The flowers, which form in June through to August,  arise in the leaf nodes. Each plant has the ability to produce some 3,500 seeds that often withstand the winter and get a jump-start on other plants in the spring. Iin New Zealand, G. umbrosum, is used to treat gonorrhea. Their dried leaves may be used in pot pourri or in former times for the packing of linen and in mattresses – hence the name bedstraw. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. A meat cleaver is better for chopping through mid-sized bones with relative ease and does so adroitly. Bedstraw / Cleavers (Galium aparine) Aerials . I guess it makes sense that an animal would use a plant referred to as bedstraw to make their bed. Habitat and conservation: Occurs in moist or rich woods and thickets, wooded valleys, waste places, roadsides, and gardens; almost any shaded area. It is harvested during the flowering season of summer. It is also used for kidney stones and other urinary problems, including prostate disorders and makes an effective lymphatic cleanser for a range of conditions. A related species, G. elatum, has also been used in France for epilepsy. Binding Spells, Love and Lust . It is common in Australia, Britain, China, Europe, France, Iraq, Mexico, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) is a woodland bedstraw, which tends to form ‘a carpet’ and is a perennial. However, large doses of the tea can cause dizziness and vomiting. Each leaf comes to a point, see images below. They're easily picked in quantity, easily dried, and easy to add to tea blends. Because of the plants tendency to bind together due to tiny little hooks located on the plants stem and leaves, cleavers is … Both the stems and leaves of cleavers have many, minute hooks or barbs which help the plant to scramble over others. Cleavers are in the Rubiaceae family which consists of flowering plants in the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It also grows in Asia Minor, Iran, and Syria, thriving in dry meadows, along roadsides, and in wayside places. Compresses made from the infusion can be applied to burns, grazes, ulcers, or other skin inflammations. Cleavers is a straggling annual, growing to about four feet in height. Today we’re going to spend a bit of time talking about cleavers herb for dogs. Cleavers (Bedstraw) - Cream by Bianca Rosa 2 oz: More Photographs below. The fruits tend to occur in pairs, and a single plant may produce thousands in a lifetime. Indeed, the real headache with Goosegrass (aka Cleavers, Bedstraw, Stickywilly) is cleaning it of debris. Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health. It helps stimulate Perspiration. The plant is common throughout Europe and North America and found in many other temperate zones, including Australia. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. A common and probably increasing plant which grows in disturbed ground in all kinds of habitats, but especially open woodland, field edges, hedgelines and waste places. Cleavers is a worldwide native annual whose original origin is debatable. Woodruff was used in a similar manner as Lady’s Bedstraw. Herbalists value all parts of the plant, from its roots to its seeds, which are dried and roasted to make a coffee substitute. With carcasses with large bones, a butcher shop typically uses either a bandsaw or an axe to cut the animal down to a manageable size that a cleaver is usable on. Gonorrhea: Believe it or not, cleavers was once believed to cure gonorrhea.However, today's antibiotics are a far more effective and reliable way to treat this dangerous sexually-transmitted disease. Cleavers is used internally and externally to reduce the discomfort of ulcers, festering glands, and fibrocystic breasts. It is used in much the same way as Cleavers, but only if that herb is unavailable, since it is the preferred one of the species. Creams are regularly used to relieve psoriasis. Because of its pleasing scent, it was often used to stuff mattresses; and, during medieval times, it was strewn on the floor to rid rooms of unpleasant odours. Medicinally, bruised leaves of woodruff are applied to wounds or infused to take for such internal complaints as stomach pains. For medicinal use, it is gathered when just about to flower in late spring. Ingredients: Bedstraw (Cleavers) Description - Research and Analysis General Herb Information Bedstraw (Cleavers) - (Yellow Bedstraw (Galium verum), also called Our Lady's Bedstraw or Cheese Rennet; White Bedstraw (G. Molluyo), also called False Baby's Breath or … Tinctures are used for the same conditions as infusions and can be combined with such other lymphatic detoxifying herbs as dried pokeroot. Blog powered by WordPress, Woods for sale for conservation and enjoyment, A Guide to Wild Flowers of Woodland and Hedgerow, Common spotted orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsia, Buttercups – creeping, bulbous and meadow. Woodruff is a perennial, growing to about eighteen inches in height with a square stem, whorls of narrow elliptical leaves, and small white flowers. The Yellow Bedstraw can furnish a red dye, like its ally, the Madder of the Continent, Rubia tinctorum. Cleavers was once used for bedding material - hence one of its nickname’s "bedstraw". Cleavers is also called bedstraw after one of its historical uses as mattress stuffing. Other names: Bedstraw Burrweed Catchweed Bedstraw Goosegrass Small Goosegrass Stickywilly Sweethearts. It also reduces the effects of Cancer. Stems of cleavers spread and sprawl across the ground or up and over other plants / shrubs; using these  as 'supports' to help form a dense network of stems and leaves up to a height of 4 – 5 feet . To most gardeners, cleavers, also known as sticky willy and sweetheart, is a pernicious weed with a fondness for scrambling through shrubs and threatening to choke prize specimens. There are upwards of 3,000 species in the Rubiaceae family. Skin ulcers, burns, and acne: Cleavers is believed to have a cooling effect on the skin.Anecdotal stories from the late 1800s describe cleavers' ability to reduce the size of leg ulcers. Because of its scent of newly cut hay, it was often placed inbetween clothing and strewn about. They are small and white, with four petals joined at the base and, when pollinated, these form small, spherical fruits which like the stems and leaves bear many small hooks. In particular cleavers are in the bedstraw family. The stems range from 10-100 cm long. Excessive doses can cause internal bleeding and should not be taken if on conventional medication for circulatory problems or during pregnancy. This plant, which acts like a botanical Velcro, is an important and valuable herbal medicine. Cleavers can also have a laxative effect when ingested. Lady’s Bedstraw is a short, also sprawling, perennial that grows to almost three feet in height, producing whorls of leaves and tufts of very small bright yellow flowers. It grows prolifically in gardens and along roadsides, intertwining through hedges and producing long, sticky stems with Velcro-like, green fruits, sometimes called burrs. Flowers April to June. Cleavers is common in hedges, arable fields and gardens. It may also help induce sleep. Cleavers is common in hedges, arable fields and gardens. Native to Europe, it is also found in Asia, Siberia, and North Africa, and is harvested during or shortly before the flowering season. Other names that cleavers are known as include sticky willy, stickybud, stickyweed, kisses, and clivers. They can be found in damp woods and swamps and along stream banks and shores throughout the world. An herbal from 1735, advocated using the crushed flowers to alleviate inflammation of burns and wounds. Woodruff has long been helpful for varicose veins and phlebitis, as well as being used as an antispasmodic and given to adults and children alike for insomnia. They are very similar in appearance, except for the color of the flowers, which are yellow in lady's bedstraw. Cleavers is a member of a group of herbs from the genus Galium that are more commonly known as bedstraw because they were once used to stuff pillows and mattresses. Dries easily. English poulty farmers encourage its growth because it is a favoured food of geese, which explains its nickname of goosegrass. Its yellow flowers were also used to curdle milk and to colour cheese. Infusions and can be found in damp woods and swamps and along stream banks and shores throughout the world scaling. Called Bedstraw after one of its scent of newly cut hay, should. 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