Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Description

Weeds are often some of the most medicinally viable and nutritionally dense plants in existence – and cleavers is no exception! Cleavers is a common weed and herb with many potent medicinal properties for both internal and external use. Medicinal uses include: diuretic, vulnerary, detoxifying agent, mild laxative, anti-inflammatory, astringent, tonic. Cleavers was used as a love tonic by one Native American tribe; the infusion used as a bath by women to be successful in love. Also used as a hair tonic, reported to make it grow long and thick. In Sweden, cleavers was, and still is, used for filtering milk, thought to give it healing properties.