Cleavers

Galium aparine

Must cookFeb–JunGreens

Hedgerow, woodland edge, disturbed ground

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All Identification Points

Whorls of 6–8 narrow lance-shaped leaves with tiny backward-pointing bristles

Square stem with fine bristles — sticks instantly to clothing on contact

Tiny round hooked fruits that cling to animal fur and clothing

Minute white four-petalled flowers in small axillary clusters

Bright green young growth in spring — darker and tougher later

Harvest Notes

Pick young growing tips in spring only. Older plants become too fibrous. Do not eat raw in quantity.

Uses

Juice pressed from young growth as a spring tonic; cooked and strained like a vegetable; seeds roasted as a coffee substitute.

Equipment Needed

Scissors, bag.

Storage

Use within 2 days.

Lookalikes

All other bedstraws (Galium spp.) are edible. The whorled sticky leaves on a square stem are entirely distinctive.

Relative Nutrition

Protein

Vitamin C

Iron

Personal foraging permitted under the Theft Act 1968. Never uproot plants without landowner permission. Always use multiple identification methods before consuming any wild food.

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