How to Use Cleavers: Tea, Tincture, Cold Infusion & Fresh Herb
Cleavers are one of those herbs that can be used in surprisingly many ways.
Also known as Galium aparine, goosegrass, catchweed, or stickyweed, cleavers are best known in traditional Western herbalism as an herb associated with lymphatic and urinary wellness.
You can work with cleavers fresh or dried, make a traditional herbal tea, prepare a cold infusion, use a tincture, or even incorporate properly identified young cleavers into food.
If you're wondering what to actually do with cleavers, here are some of the most common ways this sticky spring herb is used.
What Are Cleavers?
Cleavers are an annual plant easily recognized by their long scrambling stems, narrow leaves arranged in whorls, and tiny hooked hairs that make the plant cling to practically everything it touches.
They commonly grow in gardens, hedgerows, woodland edges, fields, and other disturbed areas.
Cleavers have traditionally been used for:
- Lymphatic wellness
- Urinary support
- Fluid balance
- Spring herbal routines
- General skin wellness
If you're new to the plant, start with What Are Cleavers? A Beginner's Guide to Galium aparine.
Fresh vs. Dried Cleavers
Before deciding how to prepare cleavers, you'll need to choose between fresh and dried herb.
Both are used in herbalism, but they're useful in slightly different situations.
Fresh Cleavers
Fresh cleavers are particularly valued in spring when young plants are abundant.
Herbalists may use fresh cleavers for:
- Cold infusions
- Fresh tinctures
- Fresh herbal preparations
- Traditional spring foods
Dried Cleavers
Drying the herb makes it available throughout the year.
Dried cleavers are convenient for:
- Herbal tea
- Infusions
- Herbal blends
- Home apothecary storage
If you don't have safe access to correctly identified wild cleavers, purchasing dried Galium aparine is a convenient alternative.
1. How to Make Cleavers Tea
One of the easiest ways to use dried cleavers is as an herbal tea.
Cleavers aren't particularly bitter or pungent. The flavor is generally mild, green, grassy, and herbaceous.
Simple Cleavers Tea
For a basic herbal infusion:
- Place approximately 1–2 teaspoons of dried cleavers into a tea infuser or cup.
- Add about 8 ounces of hot water.
- Cover the cup.
- Allow the herb to steep for approximately 10–15 minutes.
- Strain thoroughly.
- Enjoy warm.
You can adjust the strength according to your taste and the directions supplied with your herb.
This is a general tea preparation rather than an individualized therapeutic dose.
Why Cover Herbal Tea While It Steeps?
Covering your tea while it infuses helps keep steam and aromatic plant constituents from immediately escaping.
It's a simple habit that's useful when preparing many loose herbs.
Once the tea has finished steeping, strain the plant material and enjoy.
What Does Cleavers Tea Taste Like?
Cleavers tea is relatively mild.
Expect a flavor that's:
- Green
- Grassy
- Earthy
- Mildly vegetal
If you're accustomed to strong peppermint, hibiscus, or heavily flavored tea blends, cleavers may seem quite subtle.
That mild flavor also makes it easy to combine with other herbs.
What Can You Add to Cleavers Tea?
If you want a more flavorful cup, cleavers can be blended with herbs such as:
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Lemon balm
- Nettle
- Dandelion
- Ginger
Honey or lemon can also be added according to taste.
Remember that each additional herb has its own properties and precautions, so choose blends thoughtfully if you're drinking them for a specific wellness purpose.
2. How to Make a Cleavers Cold Infusion
A cold infusion is one of the more traditional and interesting ways to work with cleavers.
Instead of pouring boiling water over the plant, the herb is allowed to infuse in cool or room-temperature water for a longer period.
Fresh spring cleavers are especially popular for this preparation.
Simple Cleavers Cold Infusion
For a traditional home preparation:
- Rinse correctly identified fresh cleavers if needed.
- Roughly chop or bruise the herb.
- Place it into a clean jar.
- Cover completely with cool drinking water.
- Cover the jar.
- Refrigerate while it infuses for several hours or overnight.
- Strain thoroughly.
- Keep refrigerated and use promptly.
If you're using dried cleavers, follow your herbal supplier's preparation directions or use a similar infusion method with an appropriate amount of dried herb.
Because fresh herbs and water can support microbial growth, cold infusions aren't shelf-stable preparations. Make small batches, keep them refrigerated, and discard them if they develop an unusual smell, appearance, or texture.
Hot Tea vs. Cold Infusion: Which Is Better?
Neither is automatically better.
They're simply different extraction methods.
Hot tea is quick, convenient, warming, and particularly easy when you're using dried cleavers.
Cold infusion has a long association with fresh cleavers and traditional spring herbalism.
If you're experimenting with the herb, you may enjoy trying both and seeing which preparation you prefer.
3. Cleavers Tincture
Cleavers are also commonly available as an herbal tincture.
A tincture is a concentrated liquid extract made by soaking plant material in a solvent—traditionally alcohol—to extract certain constituents.
Cleavers tinctures may be prepared from either fresh or dried plant material.
Why Choose Cleavers Tincture?
A tincture may appeal to someone who:
- Doesn't want to brew tea every day
- Wants a concentrated herbal preparation
- Prefers liquid supplements
- Wants something easy to travel with
- Doesn't enjoy drinking herbal tea
Tincture concentrations vary, so follow the directions for the specific product you're using rather than assuming every cleavers tincture should be taken in the same amount.
4. Can You Eat Fresh Cleavers?
Young cleavers are considered edible when correctly identified and appropriately prepared.
However, cleavers have tiny hooked hairs covering the stems and leaves.
Those hooks are what make the plant stick to your clothes—and they can also make mature raw cleavers unpleasant to eat.
Young plants have traditionally been cooked or incorporated into food preparations.
Cooking helps soften the plant's texture.
Can You Put Cleavers in a Smoothie?
You'll occasionally see people blending fresh cleavers into smoothies or juices.
Because of their hooked hairs, many people prefer to strain fresh cleavers preparations thoroughly rather than simply chewing or swallowing mature raw plant material.
More importantly, only use wild plants when you're absolutely certain of their identity and know the harvesting location is clean and appropriate.
5. Cleavers as a Fresh Herbal Juice
Some traditional and modern herbalists work with fresh cleavers by crushing or juicing the young herb.
This is a more concentrated fresh-herb preparation than simply drinking tea.
If you're interested in using cleavers this way for therapeutic purposes, seek guidance from an experienced herbal practitioner rather than assuming a homemade concentrated preparation should be consumed in unlimited amounts.
6. Cleavers in Herbal Blends
Cleavers are often combined with other herbs rather than used alone.
Depending on the purpose of the blend, you may encounter cleavers alongside plants such as:
- Nettle
- Dandelion
- Calendula
- Burdock
- Red clover
- Violet
For example, cleavers and nettle are both classic spring herbs, while dandelion has its own long history of traditional digestive and urinary use.
As our Herbal Guide Library grows, you can learn about each herb individually before deciding which combinations make sense for you.
7. Can Cleavers Be Used Topically?
Cleavers also have a history of traditional topical use.
Fresh or prepared cleavers have historically been incorporated into:
- Herbal washes
- Compresses
- Poultices
- Other topical preparations
Modern clinical evidence supporting cleavers as a treatment for specific skin conditions remains limited.
If you have a persistent or significant skin condition, seek appropriate medical care rather than relying solely on herbal preparations.
How Do You Harvest Cleavers?
Cleavers are typically harvested while the plant is young and green, before it becomes tough and heavily covered with mature fruits.
When harvesting any wild herb:
- Confirm the plant's identity
- Avoid roadsides
- Avoid chemically treated areas
- Avoid contaminated soil
- Don't harvest where pesticides or herbicides may have been applied
- Leave enough of the plant population behind to continue growing
If you aren't confident identifying Galium aparine, purchase the herb from a reputable supplier instead.
How Do You Dry Cleavers?
Fresh cleavers can be dried for later use.
After harvesting from a clean location:
- Inspect the plant carefully.
- Remove damaged material and debris.
- Spread the herb in a thin layer or loosely bundle it.
- Dry it in a well-ventilated location away from direct sunlight.
- Make sure the herb is completely dry before storing.
Any remaining moisture can encourage mold.
Once thoroughly dried, store cleavers in a clean, airtight container away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
Can You Drink Cleavers Every Day?
Cleavers have traditionally been used both seasonally and for longer periods depending on the preparation and reason for use.
There's no universal schedule that's appropriate for everyone.
Occasionally drinking a mild herbal tea isn't necessarily equivalent to using concentrated cleavers preparations therapeutically every day.
If you're planning regular therapeutic use, particularly alongside medications, discuss it with an appropriate healthcare professional.
Do Cleavers Make You Pee?
Cleavers have traditionally been considered a mild diuretic herb, meaning they may encourage urinary flow.
Some people may therefore notice increased urination.
That's also one reason extra caution is appropriate if you already take prescription diuretics or medications affecting blood pressure or fluid balance.
When Is the Best Time to Use Fresh Cleavers?
Cleavers are strongly associated with spring herbalism because that's when the young, tender growth appears.
This makes spring a wonderful time to learn to identify the plant, observe how it grows, and—if you're confident in your identification—experiment with traditional fresh-herb preparations.
Dried cleavers make it possible to use the herb throughout the rest of the year.
Who Should Be Careful With Cleavers?
Talk with a healthcare professional before therapeutic use if you:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have kidney disease
- Take prescription diuretics
- Take blood-pressure medications
- Take medications affecting fluid balance
- Have a chronic medical condition
- Take multiple medications or supplements
And remember that cleavers shouldn't be used to self-treat persistent swollen lymph nodes, unexplained swelling, significant urinary changes, or another undiagnosed symptom.
The Bottom Line
Cleavers (Galium aparine) can be used in several traditional ways, making this common spring plant surprisingly versatile.
You can prepare dried cleavers tea, make a cold infusion from fresh or dried herb, use a cleavers tincture, incorporate properly identified young plants into traditional food preparations, or explore topical uses.
For beginners, a simple cup of cleavers tea is probably the easiest place to start.
And if you're lucky enough to encounter cleavers growing abundantly in spring, learning to recognize this wonderfully sticky plant can give you an entirely new appreciation for one of herbalism's most overlooked plants.
Continue Learning About Cleavers
This article is part of our Cleavers Herbal Guide Series:
- What Are Cleavers? A Beginner's Guide to Galium aparine
- Cleavers Benefits & Uses: Why Herbalists Love This Common Plant
- Cleavers for Lymphatic Support: What Does This Herb Actually Do?
- Cleavers Herb FAQs: Common Questions About Galium aparine
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This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Herbs may interact with medications and aren't appropriate for everyone. Always correctly identify wild plants before consuming them and consult a qualified healthcare professional for individualized advice.