Several years ago I took a class at the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville, CA. One of the instructors told us about this nutritious plant called Cleavers (Galium aparine).

With a shock of recognition, I realized this lovely had been growing in our backyard every year. I set out to learn more & make friends with this green being.

The vitamin C content is what caught my attention at first. This herb also has a reputation for being rich in minerals & a good spring tonic.

At home I spent time in the backyard noticing Cleavers plant & their structure, their delicate yet tenacious twining, their climbing & clinging habit. I watched as the tiny round seedballs ripened & darkened.

Now I smile as I watch each new generation pop up from the soil & I notice Cleavers plant hanging out in different spots around the neighborhood.

My favorite way to enjoy Cleavers is fresh, as a green juice. I filter out the potentially irritating tiny hairs, storing my Cleavers juice in ice cube trays & plopping 1 or 2 frozen cubes into a pint glass of water.

The color & flavor is vivid, intensely green & invigorating. Cleavers juice & Aloe gel ice cubes are a warm weather favorite for me.

Supposedly the seeds contain small amounts of caffeine, although one source I found cites it as caffeine-free. I’ve enjoyed the infused seeds both roasted & plain & find it pleasantly & mildly simulating.

Contact Dermatitis from Cleavers Leaf

The Power of Cleavers Plant Medicine

I discovered what many others have also realized, which is that Cleavers plant can leave an instant & wickedly irritated rash upon bare skin contact. It really only happens when I’m weeding & the tiny hairs scrape against my uncovered wrists & forearms.

When I’m holding them with bare fingertips in the kitchen, to chop them up before placing them in the blender, they don’t seem to bother me. (One of my favorite things in the world is when “weeding” & “harvesting” are the same activity, like when I’m picking Cleavers!)

Completely by trial & error accident, I also discovered that misting the rash with Holy Basil/Tulsi hydrosol (Ocimum sanctum,) every 20 min. minutes or so after the first onset of the rash, is very effective at bringing relief, although the hyperpigmented dark spots linger for many weeks! The image below on the right shows the healing progress of 2 weeks.

The Spiritual Plant Energy of Cleavers

“Cleave” is one of the few words in English that has 2 meanings which are the opposite of each other. It means to cut apart, as well as to cling together.

After sitting with Cleavers & contemplating their energy & structure, here is the message I received:

Cleavers plant demonstrates how to be deeply enmeshed with family and friends, and still be a completely whole and separate self.

The long running strands of this plant cling, twist and weave through whatever other plants are close by, and yet all the hairy sticky prickles covering each stem and leaf create a distinct separate identity for each Cleavers plant.

Every prickled stem and leaf creates its own boundary of independence.

Cleavers Plant Energy Exercise

When you’re with others and their energy feels overwhelming, try imagining a Cleavers plant twining about 2 ft away from your body, all around you. This can be especially helpful when spending time with people you’re emotionally close to, in a small physical space, such as a car, for example.

Cleavers plant energy can help you define yourself as separate from other people when they are experiencing strong emotions, speaking loudly and/or physically very close to you.

It becomes easier for you to identify your emotional or mental state as separate from theirs, and to have more choice about whether or not you actually want to get swept into theirs.

Try it, and let me know what you experience.

Cleavers Medicine Healing

Sajah Popham also talks about Cleavers in terms of healthy boundaries & a healthy sense of self & self preservation on the School of Evolutionary Herbalism blog. Cleavers is mentioned as promoting lymph flow, something many herbalists note, and having a cooling cleansing action on our body fluids.

Popham adds many other intriguing details specific to Cleavers energetics and clearing UTI’s, especially from an alchemical perspective on herbalism. I encourage you to explore the reference materials I’ve listed at the end of this article for more in-depth information.

Magical Properties of Cleavers

What about Cleavers in witchcraft & other magical practices?

As you might imagine, witches & other magic weavers have worked with this plant in binding spells & to strengthen relationship ties. Protection & cord cutting, however, also make the list, along with releasing anything toxic, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.

I’m always eager to learn from the creativity of others, to delve deeper into a plant’s versatility.

If you have a Cleavers story to share, I’d love to hear it.

Drop me an email: Katrina@GreenSpiritCraft.com

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References

~ Dr. Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen. (2008, August) “ForagingTexas: Cleavers.” https://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/cleaver.html. Accessed 12/2/25

~ Karen Bergeron. (2019, Feb. 16) “Cleavers Herb” https://altnature.com/gallery/cleavers.htm. Accessed 12/3/25

~ Sajah Popham. (2023, July 26) “Cleavers: The Inner Water Purifier.” https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2023/07/26/cleavers-the-inner-water-purifier/. Accessed 12/17/25

~ The Sacred Willow. (2016, March 7) “Cleavers (Galium aparine.)” https://www.thesacredwillow.net/cleavers/. Accessed 12/17/25

~ Grandma. (2025, April 13) “The Magic of Foraging.” https://grandmasgrimoire.com/the-magic-of-foraging/#🌿-cleavers-galium-aparine. Accessed 12/17/25