I am sure we all remember picking sticky weed as kids and throwing it on other peoples clothes. Maybe that was just me? Living in a caravan on a site has helped me massively connect with nature. I am trying to grow my own plants, herbs and veg but to be honest at the moment I feel much more drawn to working with the plants and weeds that are currently around us.
Last week as I was walking around my caravan I started taking notice of what there is. At the moment I have an elder tree about to come into flower, nettles, dandelions and sticky weed are abundant.
Sticky weed is also known as cleavers ( Galium aparine) There are various other names for it including goosegrass, sticky willie ( who came up with that name!?) sticky Jack, catchweed
Stickyweed is a great cleansing diuretic. I picked some to make some tea which has a particular taste to it but is very beneficial for helping us with any inflammatory disorders and skin conditions such as psoriasis. I also made a pesto, but unfortunately I didn’t cook it beforehand so there was some of it left over once I had blitzed it in the blender
So what are the benefits?
- It helps to cleanse the lymphatic system & urinary tract
- Helps remove toxins from the blood and intestines
- They can be used as a gentle laxative, I found this out only after drinking five cups of tea in a day!
- They can be cooked as a vegetable, used in tea or tincture form ( My tincture is currently brewing in my kids wardrobe)
- Use as a spring cleanse detox
- Good for psoriasis & eczema
How to make a spring cleanse detox
I pick a bunch of it, pop it in my huge teapot, fill with hot water and leave for 24 hours. I then drink it through the day to act as a natural detox for my kidneys
How to make a tincture
I used a 500ml jar and stuffed it with sticky weed. I then topped it up with apple cider vinegar & have popped it into a dark place for the next 4 weeks. You can also use vodka but I was all out after making mugwort tinctures!
If you experience a rash when you pick sticky weed it is best not to ingest it.
With most herbs there isn’t much scientific research done on various ailments so I always recommend trying a small amount & feeling if this is the herb for you.
Would love to hear if you have worked with sticky weed and how you work with it
Lindsay x
The Journey 
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