Cleavers 

Also Know As - Galium aparine, clivers, goosegrass. Barweed, Bedstraw, Catchweed, Cleaverwort, Coachweed, Eriffe, Everlasting Friendship, Galium aparine, Goosebill, Gosling Weed, Grip Grass, Hayriffe, Hayruff, Hedge-Burs, Hedgeheriff, Love-Man, Mutton Chops, Robin-Run-in-the-Grass, Scratchweed, Stick-a-Back, Sweethearts.

Wild Crafted in the USA

Overview - A popular herb in folk medicines throughout the centuries, cleavers or goosegrass is a vigorously growing weed that twines through hedges or garden shrubberies producing long sticky stems. The young shoots are some of the first weeds to appear in spring and make an excellent cleansing tonic, a remedy widely used in central Europe and the Balkans. Also cooked as a vegetable, like spinach.

•  A medical herbalist reported the case of an overweight woman who took daily infusions of cleavers. During the first month nothing happened, but on the fifth week she began slowly losing weight, and at the end of 6 months her weight was down to normal. She had lost a total of 32 lbs. and has not put them back on again.

Parts Used - The above ground parts of the plant, dried and chopped.

Medicinal Uses - Irritations of mucous membranes, tonsillitis, including those of the urinary tract, arthritis, jaundice, dropsy. The juice of the fresh plant or a tea made from the dried plant is popular for skin problems. The juice or tea is applied daily and allowed to dry (before each application, wash the affected area with rectified alcohol, burning the cloth each time). If preferred, make a salve for the skin by mixing the fresh juice with butter (renew every 3 hours and burn the cloth used to apply it). Applying the crushed fresh leaves directly is also said to be helpful for skin problems and for stopping bleeding. Cleavers is used in Europe for healing wounds and sores, psoriasis, cysts, boils, swellings or for treating skin infections, swollen lymph glands, snakebites. Makes a good face wash to clear the complexion.

• An infusion can be used to stimulate the kidneys, to help the body eliminate excess water, help cure cystitis, and to expel kidney stones. Juice of fresh herb used for scurvy. Juice contains citric acid, reported to have antitumor activity. The cold infusion removes freckles when applied externally.
• Due to its refrigerant properties it is excellent in all cases of fever, scarlet fever, measles, and all acute diseases.
• Good in scrofula and inflammatory stages of gonorrhea.
• Cleavers (Galium aparine) which the Chinese call Chu-yang-yang, was considered by the ancients as an excellent remedy for obesity and also for cleansing the blood.
• Used as a lotion it makes a first-rate tonic for the scalp, which clears it of dandruff, and the skin. It was once held to cure leprosy and is still used to treat skin cancer.
• The ancient Greeks matted it together to make a natural, rough sieve, supposedly for straining milk. 

Suggested Preparations - Usually taken as a tea, but can be eaten or ground fresh.

• Infusion: steep 1 oz. dried herb in 1 pint warm (not boiling) water for 2 hours. Take 2 to 8 tbsp., 3-4 times a day. May sweeten with honey.
• Fluid extract: half-dram doses in a cup of water or milk, 3 times daily.
• Tincture: take 20-30 drops in water, as required. 

Precautions - None known. This herb may be used freely. But it should be taken for only 2 weeks at a time, and then skip 1-2 weeks.

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