Cleavers
Galium aparine L.
Also known as: Goosegrass, Sticky willy, Stickyweed
Family: Rubiaceae
30 cm to 1.5 m
Hedges, wasteland, crops, woodland edges
Flowering: May – September
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -15°C
🍃 Leaves
Narrow, whorled in groups of 6 to 8 around the stem, edged with small hooks
🌸 Flowers
Tiny, white, in the leaf axils
🍎 Fruits
Small round fruits covered with hooks that cling to clothing
🪵 Bark
Square stem bristling with tiny backward-pointing hooks
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, Asia, North Africa; very common in France in hedges, gardens and crops
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small white flowers, not very nectar-rich, visited by small foraging insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Regarded as a climbing garden weed, with no ornamental use
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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