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Native plant enthusiasts who would prefer to disown “sticky willies” as a weed just suffered another setback. For many Texans, annual Galium aparine (USDA symbol GAAP2) was the only green revealed by melting snow after winter storm Uri.
Some Texans prefer to call this cleansing native herb “velcro plant”—a nod to legendary inspiration NASA scientists gained from the more unpopular qualities of some native Texas annuals. After emerging in late fall or winter, tender Galium aparine stems and leaves swells with water. As temperatures increase, or drought occurs, the aerial parts grab attention, literally, by latching onto clothes and using anyone passing by to transport its tiny seeds.
The Remarkable Plants of Texas author Matt Turner said pioneers called Galium aparine “bedstraw” and used it to stuff mattresses. San Antonio Water System conservation planner Sasha Korea said, “bedstraw is a delight and despair. I admire its adaptive dispersal method of tiny hairs on the stems, leaves and seeds that catch on to clothing and fur, and it makes a fun teaching tool for kids.”
Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Director of Horticulture of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, said she and her colleagues have fun throwing it onto each other so that it clings to hair and clothes. DeLong-Amaya said most gardeners consider GAAP2 a “nuisance” even though it can be eaten raw as a potherb.
Charles M. Allen said Galium aparine is the most common and widespread species of cleavers. Allen unearthed many more common names while writing Edible Plants of the Gulf South – goosegrass, catchweed, stickyweed, sticky bob, stickybud, stickyback, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, grip grass, sticky grass, and bobby buttons. Allen grazes Galium aparine tips during its season, and eats it in salads.
Konrad DeLorentz, a lifelong forager who studied biology and continues to research wild edible plants, likens the flavor of cooked fresh shoots to green peas. DeLorentz said, “December and January are the best times for it as that’s when new, tender seedlings will be popping up everywhere.”
DeLorentz said that crushing fresh plants provides the highest nutritional value when making tea. Allen recommends drying and using the entire plant for tea. Allen said drying and lightly roasting the seeds is one of the more popular substitutes for coffee, a plant within the same plant family, Rubiaceae.
Mark Vorderbruggen, author of Idiots Guide to Foraging, said “my favorite alternative use – a backpacker’s colander! A large clump of cleavers makes a good strainer for draining the water from pasta, boiled eggs, or whatever else needs to be separated from water. Of course, the normal safety precautions of dealing with boiling water must be followed.” Vorderbruggen’s Foraging Texas website provides a visual guide to cleavers throughout its season.
In Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: a Guide for Beginners, the author recommends combining Galium aparine with other herbs to cleanse the lymphatic or endocrine gland systems. Mother Earth Living Online article “Spring cleaning with clingy cleavers” (April, 2018) provides several recipes to spring-clean the body using citrus blends with cleavers.
If you missed the fresh harvest this year, locate teas with cleavers blends in traditional grocery stores, and be ready to detox with a raw green salad next winter.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: cywinski
