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Sticky Weed!!
If you work with kids in the outdoors, you will know the excitement on them finding sticky weed and will definitely know the drill of what comes next!!
For children, Cleavers are a great choice for their first forage as they are clearly easy for them to identify and cannot be confused with any other plant.
But Cleavers are so much more than a sticky weed. Celtic folklore says that drinking an infusion of Cleavers makes you so beautiful that everyone will fall in love with you.
Even if you are not looking for romance, it’s good to know that the stem, leaves and seeds of the Cleaver are edible and can be nibbled on straight from the earth. They can be used to make a great tonic for detoxification and are often made into teas, infusions and tinctures. If you think nettles, then Cleavers can be used in the same way such as adding flavour to soups and stews. An interesting fact is that Cleavers is related to the coffee plant and as such contains a small amount of caffeine. The seeds can be roasted in late summer/early autumn to give you a wild cuppa of “poor mans” coffee.
Cleavers have traditionally been used in herbalism and can be made into a cooling poultice and used topically to soothe skin issues such as eczema or relieve the discomfort of stings and insect bites. So a great addition to your “wild” first aid kit.
Whilst many would consider it a nuisance, sticky weed is a good addition to a wildlife garden, as it provides food for the caterpillars of many butterfly & moth species.
So, when introducing kids to foraging, sticky weed is sure to be a hit. Even if they don’t want to drink it, add it to food or use it in herbalism, they will have a shed load of fun throwing it at you and each other.
