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Common Name: False Cleavers

General Information

Galium spurium is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.75 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.

Habitat

Plants are doubtfully native in Britain but are well established in arable fields in Essex and in a few other scattered localities[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Flies, Beetles, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade[]. Tolerates dry soils but the leaves quickly become scorched when growing in full sun[]. This species does not thrive in a hot climate[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. A famine food, used as a last resort[].

Medicinal

A number of species in this genus contain asperuloside, a substance that produces coumarin and gives the scent of new-mown hay as the plant dries[]. Asperuloside can be converted into prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds that stimulate the uterus and affect blood vessels), making the genus of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry[].

Other Uses

A red dye is obtained from the root[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe in late summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in the spring though it may be very slow to germinate.