Cleavers is a pasture plant of Britain and North America and is easily recognized by its clinging leaves and sticky seeds that attach themselves to passers-by. The aerial portions of the plant are used in various herbal traditions and are often harvested in bloom in late spring and early summer. Cleavers is also referred to as bedstraw after one of its historical uses as mattress stuffing.
Related to both quinine and sweet woodruff, Galium aparine is a member of the Rubiaceae family. Cleavers is a creeping plant with square stems covered in tiny hairs and clinging leaves reminding one of Velcro. The herbaceous annual’s sticky seeds cling to anyone or anything walking by, helping to propagate the plant for the next season. Found growing in dense ground mats around the world, cleavers spread quickly after emerging in the early spring and are often seen as a common weed.
Historically, cleavers were eaten fresh as one of the first spring greens, pressed as juice, or added to milk during cheesemaking, which is still a part of some European cultures today. In traditional folk herbalism, the aerial portions (fresh or dried) were used as a tonic herb and were often steeped as a daily tea. In fact, the ancient Greeks and Romans used the plant as a spring tonic to reinvigorate the body after winter. Considered energetically cooling and moving, cleavers helps to support the healthy functioning of the lymphatic system. This plant is typically prepared as a tea, tincture, or in topical applications.
Our cleavers tincture has a slightly bitter, sweet, and salty taste. Made from fresh leaves, our extract can be relied upon for quality. While it can be taken in water or juice, we also like to add it to herbal teas like our spring care tea or green sencha tea. Cleavers extract also pairs well with red clover extract, nettle extract, dandelion extract, or marshmallow extract to create a customized blend.
Ingredients
Organic alcohol, water, and fresh cleavers aerial portion.
Packaging & Shipping
• 1 oz., 2 oz., and 4 oz. extracts come in amber glass bottles with a dropper.
• 8 oz. size comes in an amber glass bottle with a plastic screw cap and does not include a dropper.
• 32 oz. extracts come in plastic bottles with a plastic screw cap.
Precautions
No known precautions. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
