In this third episode, we're diving into Cleavers, also known as Sticky Willy, or Kleefkruid in Dutch: a common weed that sticks to everything, but you can also eat. We explore its family, Rubiaceae, a famly famous for looking like a bird.

We cover how to spot it, how to drink it as a poor man's coffee, why it was useful in making cheese, its connection to Jesus Christ and much much more!

Let's Get Wild!

This podcast is made in collaboration with Kroos Foraging Company. If you are interested in foraging and live in the Netherlands, check out the Kroos website: https://roosvankroos.nl/

All work for the podcast episode, research, hosting and recording is done by Ella Betts.

Sources:

My own Exploration and

https://solarserdar.wordpress.com/2022/04/29/galium-aparine-sticky-willy-by-zeljko-serdar/

Natural_Dye-Yielding_Plants_from_the_Rubiaceae_Fam.pdf

Rubia : Meaning and Origin of First Name | Search Family History on Ancestry®.com

Rubiaceae | Description, Flowering Plants, Characteristics, Species, & Facts | Britannica

The Matter of Madder in the Ancient World | Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt

https://friendsofedgewood.org/madder-coffee-family

https://bsbi.org/in-your-area/local-botany/co-fermanagh/fermanagh-species-accounts/galium-aparine-l

https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/cleavers-galium-aparine

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/cleavers

https://mgnv.org/plants/glossary/glossary-lanceolate/

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30007294-2/general-information

https://www.corteva.com/uk/tools-and-advice/weed-biology/cleavers.html

https://wildfoodhuntress.com.au/cleavers

https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/expert-advice/garden-management/weeds/weed-datasheets/cleavers

https://totallywilduk.co.uk/2020/04/29/identify-cleavers/

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Galium+spurium

https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Galium+aparine

Ilina, T., Skowrońska, W., Kashpur, N., Granica, S., Bazylko, A., Kovalyova, A., Goryacha, O., & Koshovyi, O. (2020). Immunomodulatory Activity and Phytochemical Profile of Infusions from Cleavers Herb. Molecules, 25(16), 3721. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25163721

Galium aparine and Its Role in Lymphatic Cleansing: A Scientific Review Qadir Mohammadi 1*, Leila Ahmadzadeh-Gavahan 1 , Alireza Aslani-Zakariya *1,3 , Ali Yavari 3 , Mehdi Mohammadi1 1 Exir Research Center, Dr. Qadir Mohammadi's Health Institute, Tabriz, Iran 2 Department of Complementary Medicine, Avicenna International Community College, Georgia 3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Atatürk University, 25240, Erzurum, Türkiye

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21199-lymphatic-system

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21197-urinary-system

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/cleaverss-therapeutic-uses#bibliography

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/treatment-types/immunotherapy/immunomodulators.html

https://www.verywellhealth.com/cleavers-health-benefits-5084341

Van boven in het wild Zakboek

The Forager’s Almanac Danielle Gallacher

https://guides.nynhp.org/shining-bedstraw/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/12/cleavers-adder-bite-south-uist

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921448824000567

Recipes

https://wildforagingwithcourtney.com/2024/03/04/the-edible-and-medicinal-uses-of-cleavers/

https://elevatedwild.com/elevatedwildblog/cleaver-pasta-recipe

https://www.thefooddoula.co.uk/blogs/the-food-doula-journal/cleavers-the-sticky-spring-herb-you-should-be-eating-right-now

https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/cleavers-aubergine-bake

https://wildwalks-southwest.co.uk/how-to-make-wild-cleaver-coffee/

https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/blogs/herb-library/cleavers?srsltid=AfmBOoq9WwvELbnqPHe1IPk7zdIFxWGHKQfApKrxvVASJeypRcyMe3BS