By Katrina Matos

This year’s UpS Journal theme is how we learn about plants. As someone who doesn’t own a car and barely knows how to drive, traveling to in-person classes to learn about plants is a rare occasion for me.

Several years ago I took a class at the California School of Herbal Studies in Forestville, CA. I was fortunate that my sweetheart was available to drive me and drop me off at the school. I slept in a tent on the school grounds for this weekend class, and my sweetie came to pick me up when it was over.

One of the instructors told us about this nutritious plant called cleavers (Galium aparine).

With a shock of recognition, I realized cleavers had been growing in our backyard every year. I set out to learn more and make friends with this green being. I’m blessed to have them as a regular visitor in the garden.

The vitamin C content is what caught my attention at first. This herb also has a reputation for being rich in minerals and a good spring tonic.

At home I spent time in the backyard noticing cleavers plant and their structure, their delicate yet tenacious twining, and their climbing and clinging habits. I watched as the tiny round seedballs ripened and darkened. Now I smile as I watch each new generation pop up from the soil, and I notice cleavers plants hanging out in different spots around the neighborhood. 

My favorite way to enjoy cleavers is fresh as a green juice. I filter out the potentially irritating tiny hairs, storing my cleavers juice in ice cube trays and plopping 1 or 2 frozen cubes into a pint glass of water. The color and flavor are vivid, intensely green and invigorating. Cleavers juice and gel from aloe (Aloe vera) blended with water and then frozen into ice cubes are a warm weather favorite for me.

Supposedly the seeds contain small amounts of caffeine, although one source I found cites it as caffeine-free. I’ve enjoyed the infused seeds both roasted and plain and find them pleasant and stimulating.

Contact Dermatitis from Cleavers Leaf

I discovered what many others have also realized, which is that cleavers can leave an instant and wickedly irritated rash upon bare skin contact. It only happens when I’m weeding and the tiny hairs scrape against my uncovered wrists and forearms. When I’m holding them with bare fingertips in the kitchen to chop them up before placing them in the blender, they don’t seem to bother me. (One of my favorite things in the world is when “weeding” and “harvesting” are the same activity, like when I’m picking cleavers!)

Completely by accident, I also discovered that misting the rash with holy basil/tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) hydrosol every 20 minutes or so after the first onset of the rash is very effective at bringing relief, although the hyperpigmented dark spots linger for many weeks!

The Subtle Energy of Cleavers

“Cleave” is one of the few words in English that has 2 meanings which are the opposite of each other. It means to cut apart, as well as to cling together.  

After sitting with cleavers and contemplating their energy and structure, here is the message I received:

Cleavers demonstrate how to be deeply enmeshed with family and friends

and still be a completely whole and separate self.

The long running strands of this plant cling, twist, and weave through whatever other plants are close by, and yet all the hairy sticky prickles covering each stem and leaf create a distinct separate identity for each cleavers plant.

Every prickled stem and leaf creates its own boundary of independence.

Cleavers Energy Exercise

When you’re with others and their energy feels overwhelming, try imagining a cleavers plant twining about 2 ft away from your body, all around you. This can be especially helpful when spending time with people you’re emotionally close to, in a small physical space, such as a car, for example.

Cleavers plant energy can help you define yourself as separate from other people when they’re experiencing strong emotions, speaking loudly, and/or physically very close to you.

It becomes easier for you to identify your emotional or mental state as separate from theirs, and to have more choice about whether you actually want to get swept into theirs. 

When you first try this exercise, start by greeting the spirit of cleavers. Tell them something about why you’d like to work with them and send some appreciation before requesting their assistance. Consider asking if there is something cleavers would like you to do in return. Practicing reciprocity is an important part of being in loving relationship.

Try it and let me know what you experience!

Cleavers Medicine Healing

Many excellent plant people generously share their knowledge and experiences for free online, gifting me with access to deepen my plant knowledge, allowing me to overcome transportation and economic challenges. 

Sajah Popham also talks about cleavers in terms of healthy boundaries & a healthy sense of self and self-preservation on the School of Evolutionary Herbalism blog. Cleavers are mentioned for promoting lymph flow, something many herbalists note, and having a cooling cleansing action on our body fluids.

Popham adds many other intriguing details specific to cleavers energetics and clearing UTI’s, especially from an alchemical perspective on herbalism. I encourage you to explore the reference materials I’ve listed at the end of this article for more in-depth information.

Magical Properties of Cleavers

What about cleavers in witchcraft and other magical practices? As you might imagine, witches and other magic weavers have worked with this plant in binding spells and to strengthen relationship ties. Protection and cord cutting, however, also make the list, along with releasing anything toxic, whether physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. I’m always eager to learn from the creativity of others and delve deeper into a plant’s versatility.

Increasingly, I make an effort to learn about a particular plant from the plant itself, in addition to learning from other humans about how animals may interact with a plant. If the plant is one I’m able to consume, I observe aroma, color, etc., as well as how the plant feels in my body. I learn what kind of environment they prefer and absorb their energy from pictures if I can’t be with them in person, studying color, shape, and structure. I sometimes invite them to visit me in my dreams, where my analytical brain moves out of the way, and we can play with word puns, emotions, and symbols.

If you have a Cleavers story to share, I’d love to hear it. Drop me an email:

Katrina Matos is a Green Witch and Reiki practitioner who helps restore joy and hope, balance and purpose, through customized, nature-inspired distance energy sessions and food grade, organic, plant-infused skin care full of botanical soul. Her work is for people who talk to their plants and listen when their plants talk back. She invites you to keep deepening your connections with your Earth family. You can find out more about her and sign up for her newsletter at GreenSpiritCraft.com

References

• Dr. Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen. (2008, August) “ForagingTexas: Cleavers.” https://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/cleaver.html. Accessed 12/2/25
• Karen Bergeron. (2019, Feb. 16) “Cleavers Herb” https://altnature.com/gallery/cleavers.htm. Accessed 12/3/25
• Sajah Popham. (2023, July 26) “Cleavers: The Inner Water Purifier.” https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com/2023/07/26/cleavers-the-inner-water-purifier/. Accessed 12/17/25
• The Sacred Willow. (2016, March 7) “Cleavers (Galium aparine.)” https://www.thesacredwillow.net/cleavers/. Accessed 12/17/25
• Grandma. (2025, April 13) “The Magic of Foraging.” https://grandmasgrimoire.com/the-magic-of-foraging/#🌿-cleavers-galium-aparine. Accessed 12/17/25