All plants /Ground /Cleavers
Cleavers
Galium aparine, madder family. Common in East and Central Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Young tender growth
- How
- Cooked as a potherb; dried as tea
- When
- Cool season
- Where
- Shady moist ground, fence rows
- Value
- A mild spring green
Caution: The clinging hairs soften with cooking; eat it cooked rather than raw. A safe, well-known plant. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
A sprawling square-stemmed plant with whorls of narrow leaves and tiny hooks that make it cling to clothing, giving it the nickname 'sticky willy.'
Uses
Young growth cooks down into a mild green; the dried plant makes a traditional tea, and the seeds have been roasted as a coffee substitute.
Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.