Cleavers and Powder Profile
Also known 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.
Introduction
Cleavers is a pasture plant of Britain and North America easily recognized by its clinging leaves and sticky seeds attaching themselves to any animal or person passing them. The entire plant is used in herbal medicine, harvested just before it blooms in early summer. Cleavers is related to both quinine and sweet woodruff. It has no odor, and a slightly bitter taste.
Constituents
Chlorophyll, citric acid, rubichloric acid, tannins.
Parts Used
Usually the above ground parts of the plant, dried and chopped.
Typical Preparations
Usually taken as a tea, but can be eaten or ground fresh. Equally as suitable as an extract or capsule and may be lightly sprinkled on food as it has a fresh taste.
Summary
Cleavers is a diuretic herb, the "Lasix" (furosemide) of the nineteenth century, used to assist ailing hearts by encouraging urination to reduce the volume of blood to relieve congestive heart failure. Herbalists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reported that it dissolved kidney stones; however, neither cleavers nor any other diuretic should be used during an acute attack. Cleavers were also used in washes and cosmetics to remove freckles.
Precautions
None.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
