Other Galium
Confirm leaf-whorl counts, hooked hairs, flowers and fruit with a local key.
Use the botanical sourceStudy first
Cleavers.
Galium aparine
Also found as Goosegrass · Sticky willy · Catchweed bedstraw
A scrambling annual whose hooked hairs attach to neighboring plants and clothing.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Other bedstraws differ chemically. Do not infer edibility from a sticky stem.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 68,691
- People who recorded it
- 27,251
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Mar–May
- Records span
- 1985–2026
| January | 2079 |
|---|---|
| February | 3700 |
| March | 8064 |
| April | 23391 |
| May | 16080 |
| June | 6309 |
| July | 2142 |
| August | 668 |
| September | 519 |
| October | 871 |
| November | 1045 |
| December | 1198 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Narrow leaves in whorls of usually six to eight.
- 02
Weak four-sided stems with backward-pointing hooks.
- 03
Tiny white or greenish four-petaled flowers and bristly paired fruits.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Widespread in North America, Europe and northern Asia; native status varies.
Watch the plant stage
Observe young shoots, flowers and hooked fruits through the local growing season.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Young shoot
Included for study; cooked shoots have documented use but rough hairs make raw gathering unsuitable.
Care for the patch
Avoid pulling surrounding hedgerow plants when observing this scrambling species.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Galium aparineBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction