Cleavers
Galium aparine — Caryophyllaceae
Italiano: Caglio — Attaccaveste
Description
Cleavers (Galium aparine) belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family and is native to Europe. It thrives in Hedges, Woodland edges, Gardens, Waste ground environments across regions including All Europe, USA, Canada. Botanically, Cleavers is sticky creeping weed. Leaves shoots salad. Seeds roasted coffee like. Leaves diuretic.. It is also known locally as Attaccaveste. The edible parts include Shoots, Leaves, Roasted seeds. With an edibility rating of 5/10, it ranks as a moderate wild food source. Harvesting is best done during April, March and May. Nutritionally, Cleavers stands out for its Vitamin C (25.0mg, 28% DV), Vitamin K (30.0mg, 25% DV) and Vitamin A (50.0mg, 6% DV). It also provides 2.0g protein and 2.0g dietary fiber per 100g serving. In the kitchen, Cleavers offers a Fresh grassy flavor profile. Raw shoots toasted seeds coffee. Common culinary applications include shoot salad, tea, coffee seed. Popular preparations include Cleavers salad, Cleavers coffee, Sauteed greens with garlic, Wild green pesto. For storage, fresh 2d. Safety note: No toxicity sticky. Antinutrient content is saponins mild. Always verify identification with at least three independent botanical sources before consumption.
🌿 Foraging Tips
🍳 Recipe: Cleavers salad
This is one of the traditional ways to prepare this wild edible plant. Always ensure proper plant identification before cooking.
Edibility
Harvest Calendar
Nutrition (per 100g)
Culinary Uses: shoot salad, tea, coffee seed Storage: Fresh 2d
Recipes
- Cleavers salad
- Cleavers coffee
- Sauteed greens with garlic
- Wild green pesto
- Leafy green soup
- Wild winter pesto made from Cleavers
- Traditional Cleavers soup
- Cleavers and potato frittata
