Cleavers

A scrambling annual with tiny hook-covered leaves and stems that cling to everything, used herbally as a lymphatic tonic. Cleavers is best used fresh in spring juices and teas when the young growth is most potent and least fibrous. The plant grows rapidly in cool weather and can be succession harvested before it becomes tough and stringy.

Sow cleavers seeds in early spring, pressing into moist soil surface. Seeds germinate readily in cool, moist conditions within 1-2 weeks. No special treatment is needed—this is one of the easiest herbs to grow. Seeds self-sow prolifically; once established, cleavers will return annually without replanting. Simply manage the population by harvesting heavily and removing excess plants before they set seed. Can also be autumn-sown for even earlier spring emergence.

The Season Plate

Your Cleavers Year

Composed for Zone 7 · typical seasons · frost passes Apr 2, returns Nov 1

Sow Cleavers Mar – Apr, pick May – Jul. Set your climate below and every date on this plate re-times itself.

Sowing window

Mar – Apr

re-timed to your frost dates

Plant out

after Apr 2

once frost risk has passed

First picking

around May 14

≈ 60 days from sowing · 50-120g per plant

Composed for —ColdTemperateMildWarmUse my locationUsed once to set your season · only the zone is kept

Week-by-week Cleavers reminders watering, feeding and pruning, timed to your dates

In the app

Frost alerts for your garden a warning before a cold night costs you the crop

In the app

Succession sowing dates so the picking never gaps mid-season

In the app

Keep my dates — free for 7 daysWe nudge you as each window opens · cancel anytime

Cleavers, also known as goosegrass or sticky weed, is a scrambling annual that uses tiny hooked hairs on its leaves and stems to cling to everything it touches—clothing, animal fur, and neighboring plants. This vigorous spring herb grows 30-120cm long, scrambling over hedges and through garden borders. Sow in early spring in partial shade with moist soil, spacing 20cm apart.

Cleavers grows best in cool, moist conditions and is one of the first herbs to emerge in spring. It thrives in the partial shade of hedgerows and woodland edges, scrambling over shrubs and through gaps with its sticky, climbing stems. Provide fertile, moist soil for the lushest, most succulent growth—poor, dry soil produces tough, fibrous plants with less herbal value.

This herb is best used fresh in spring when the young growth is most tender and medicinally potent. As the season progresses, plants become increasingly tough, stringy, and difficult to use. In herbal practice, cleavers is valued as a spring tonic and lymphatic herb. The plant self-sows prolifically from tiny round seeds that are also covered in hooked hairs, so it can become weedy—manage by harvesting heavily and removing plants before seed set.

In its natural habitat, cleavers scrambles through hedgerows and over shrubs without causing significant harm to its supports. In the herbal garden, grow in a dedicated area where its scrambling habit is an asset rather than a nuisance. Plant alongside other spring-harvested herbs like nettles and dandelions for a traditional spring tonic garden. The early spring growth provides ground cover before later crops emerge.

The Society Table

Stinging Nettle belongs beside it.

Old growers' knowledge, checked against Cleavers's real companion table below — test any plant you're growing.

Grows well in the company of · 2

Stinging NettleChamomile

Keep apart · 0

no recorded foes

Plant Cleavers with good neighboursThe planner flags conflicts before they're in the ground

Grow in moist, fertile soil with pH 5.5-7.5. Cleavers is adapted to rich, humus-laden soil found naturally in hedgerows and woodland edges. Incorporate compost for the most succulent, tender growth. No additional fertilization is needed in reasonably fertile garden soil. The plant is a nitrogen-indicator species, thriving in nitrogen-rich soils. In containers, use standard potting mix kept consistently moist.

Ideal Temperature

Hardiness Zone Compatibility

Harvest cleavers in spring when stems are 15-30cm long and still tender—this is the only window for quality herbal use. Cut entire stems and use fresh within hours, as cleavers wilts rapidly and dries poorly. The freshly juiced plant is the most medicinally potent preparation. For tea, use fresh material chopped and steeped in hot water. The tiny hooked hairs are harmless but make handling messy. Harvest with scissors and place directly into a basket or bag.

Storage & Preservation

Cleavers is emphatically a fresh herb—its active compounds are volatile and degrade rapidly with drying. Juice the fresh plant immediately after harvest and freeze in ice cube trays for the most effective preservation. Fresh juice can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Drying reduces potency significantly but dried cleavers can be stored in airtight jars for up to 6 months for mild tea. Tincture fresh plant material in alcohol within hours of harvest for the best preparation.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Aggressive self-seeding is the primary management issue—harvest heavily before seed set or the hooked seeds will spread everywhere. Plants become tough and unusable by midsummer; plan harvesting for the spring window only. The clingy habit makes cleavers difficult to remove from mixed borders once established. In some regions, it is considered an invasive weed. Start with a small contained patch and manage from there.

Growing Tips

1. Sow cleavers seeds directly outdoors in autumn or very early spring — they require cool temperatures to germinate and benefit from natural cold stratification. Scatter seeds on moist soil and press lightly, as they need some light and soil contact to sprout.
2. Choose a partially shaded location with consistently moist, humus-rich soil for the best results. Cleavers naturally grows along hedgerows and woodland edges, so it performs best in dappled shade rather than full sun or deep shade.
3. Provide a support structure such as twiggy branches, netting, or a small trellis if you want cleavers to grow upright for easier harvesting. Without support, the weak stems will scramble along the ground and over neighboring plants.
4. Harvest only the tender growing tips — the top 10-15 cm of each stem — and leave the lower portions intact to continue growing. Regular tip harvesting encourages branching and produces a longer harvest window of tender young growth.
5. Gather your main harvest in spring before flowering for the best flavor and nutritional content. Once the tiny white flowers appear, leaves become coarser and the plant shifts energy toward seed production.
6. Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Cleavers is not drought-tolerant and will become tough, stringy, and unpalatable if water-stressed. Mulch around plants to maintain soil moisture in warmer weather.
7. Contain cleavers within a designated bed or area, as it self-sows prolifically and the hooked seeds disperse readily on clothing, animal fur, and garden tools. Remove seed heads before they mature if you want to prevent spreading.
8. Grow cleavers alongside nettles, wild garlic, and other spring edibles for a dedicated foraging bed that provides a concentrated harvest area for seasonal wild food gathering.
9. Process harvested cleavers promptly — the stems wilt quickly after cutting. For tea, dry the tips in a single layer in a warm, airy location out of direct sunlight. For culinary use, blanch briefly in boiling water to soften the hooked hairs before using in pesto, soup, or as a cooked green.
10. Start a cleavers patch from wild-collected seeds in autumn. Gather the round, bristly seed pods when they are brown and dry, then scatter them in your chosen growing area. No further care is needed — seeds will germinate naturally the following spring.