Cleavers.

At a glance

Care level

Easy

Plant type

Annual herb

Light

Partial shade to full sun

Indoor light

Bright indirect

Water

Every 3 to 7 days

Mature size

3 to 5 feet long

Growth rate

Fast

Hardiness

USDA 3 to 9

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Care

This plant is often considered a weed, so it needs little care beyond removal if you want to control its spread. Watch for it choking out smaller plants in your garden. It thrives in moist, nitrogen rich soil.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.

Feeding

This plant does not require supplemental fertilizer as it grows vigorously in most conditions.

Pruning

Remove stems regularly to prevent the plant from spreading its seeds.

Repotting

As an annual, this plant completes its life cycle in one year and does not typically need repotting.

Soil

Moist, fertile, well draining soil

Soil pH

6.0 to 7.5

Temperature

-20 to 30°C

Humidity

40 to 80%

Safety

People

This plant is generally considered non-toxic but may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals.

Children

The hooked hairs can be irritating to a child's skin if handled frequently.

Contact allergens

The tiny hooked hairs on the stems and leaves can cause mechanical skin irritation or a rash upon contact.

Airborne allergens

The pollen is not considered a significant allergen.

Edibility

While young leaves are sometimes eaten, they have tiny hooked hairs that can irritate the throat if not cooked thoroughly.

How to identify it

• Square stems with tiny hooked hairs
• Narrow leaves in whorls of six
• Small white four petaled flowers
• Round burr like seeds that cling

Height

0.3 to 1.2m

Spread

0.3 to 0.6m

Leaves

bright green, deciduous

Flowers

white, 0.2 to 0.3cm

Fruit

green, brown, Summer

Problems to watch for

• AphidsCommon
• Powdery MildewCommon
• RustUncommon
• Slugs and SnailsUncommon

Growing it

Propagation

seed

When to plant

spring, autumn

This plant is usually considered an antagonist to garden crops due to its rapid growth and competitive nature.

Grows well with

• Stinging Nettle · They often share the same moist, nutrient rich habitats.
• Chickweed · Both are common cool season weeds that thrive in similar conditions.

Similar species

• Sweet Woodruff · It is a related, non-weedy species often grown as an ornamental ground cover.

Science

Family

Rubiaceae

Genus

Galium

Order

Gentianales

Class

Magnoliopsida

Native range

Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Conservation

This plant is a common weed and is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in moist, shaded areas and disturbed soils where it can climb over other vegetation for light.

Value to wildlife

larval host plant, nectar source

Pollinators

bees, beetles

Uses

foraging, medicinal tea, ground cover

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is it a weed?

Yes, it is often considered an aggressive weed in gardens and agricultural fields.

How do I control it?

Hand pulling before it sets seed is the most effective method.

Where the name comes from

The genus name Galium comes from the Greek word gala, meaning milk, as some species were used to curdle milk. The species name aparine is from the Greek word for to seize or grasp.

Good to know

• It is a member of the coffee family.
• The seeds were historically roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
• The plant is also known as stickywilly due to its clinging nature.