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Galium aparine
CautionKletten-Labkraut · (Galium aparine)
Madder family (Rubiaceae)
Description
Square stems and leaves covered in tiny hooked bristles let cleavers cling to clothing and fur, the trait behind its common name, and it scrambles through hedges, fences and woodland edges from May to August. The flowering herb is the part used, containing iridoids such as asperuloside, tannins and flavonoids like rutin. Folk tradition employs a pressed juice or tea internally for complaints of the lymphatic and urinary systems, while poultices of the fresh herb are traditionally applied externally to minor wounds and skin irritation. Young shoots were also once eaten as a wild vegetable. Fresh plant juice can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals, so external use should be avoided if such sensitivity is known, and sufficient studies on prolonged internal use are lacking.
An infusion of fresh or dried herb is traditionally used as a diuretic and lymph-supporting remedy. In European folk medicine, cleavers was regarded as a spring tonic to support the excretory organs.
Preparation & dosage
- Dry amount
- 2–4 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
Fresh plant juice or a poultice of the bruised herb was traditionally applied to wounds, minor burns, and skin inflammations. In vitro studies show enhanced cell migration in wound-healing assays.
Preparation & dosage
Traditionally, an ointment-like preparation of fresh plant juice and butter was used for scalds, swellings, and skin rashes. Folk medicine also employs it for eczema and psoriasis.
Preparation & dosage
As a diaphoretic, cleavers tea was used in fever conditions. Pliny the Elder already mentioned the plant against fever states and skin ailments.
Preparation & dosage
- Dry amount
- 2–3 g
- Doses per day
- 2×
Young shoots can be cooked as a leaf vegetable in spring, if harvested before the fruits harden. Dried and roasted fruits have been used as a low-caffeine coffee substitute.
Sources: [2]
Ethanolic extracts of cleavers showed immunomodulatory effects in vitro by stimulating lymphocyte proliferation. In naturopathy, the tincture is traditionally used for swollen lymph nodes.
Sources: [4]
Fresh plant juice may cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Avoid topical use with persistent complaints or known plant-juice allergy. Long-term internal use not sufficiently studied.
Insufficient safety data for pregnancy; traditionally avoided.
No data available; avoid as a precaution.
Not sufficiently studied in children; culinary use in small amounts is generally considered safe.
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to plants of the family Rubiaceae.
Harvested part: flowering herb
- Time of day:
- Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried.
- Drying:
- Air-dry at max. 40 °C in thin layers; the herb loses significant volume when drying.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Store dry, dark, and airtight in paper or linen bags.
- Time of day:
- Collect fruits at ripeness, before they become fully hard.
- Drying:
- Roast at 50 °C for coffee substitute; alternatively air-dry.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Cool and dry in sealed containers.
- AsperulosidGlycosideContent: 0.05-0.2 %Aerial parts
Iridoid glycoside; characteristic marker compound of the Galium genus; convertible in vitro to prostaglandin precursors.
- ChlorogensäurePhenolic acidContent: bis 0.4 % (in 96-%-Ethanol-Extrakt)Aerial parts
Hydroxycinnamic acid derivative; antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; quantitatively the most prominent phenolic acid in ethanolic extract.
- RutinFlavonoidAerial parts
Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside; vascular-protective and antioxidant.
- Quercetin-GlykosideFlavonoidAerial parts
Multiple quercetin derivatives including a newly described quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside-7-O-glucoside; antioxidant and inflammation-modulating.
- Gallotannine und EllagitannineTanninContent: 2-5 %Aerial parts
Hydrolysable tannins; responsible for astringent and antimicrobial effects.
- Iridoid-Säuren (Monotropein, Asperulosidsäure)GlycosideAerial parts
Additional iridoid compounds alongside asperuloside; contributing to bitterness and biological activity.
- SaponineSaponinAerial parts
Surface-active compounds; contributing to the foaming property of aqueous extracts.
- Kaffeesäure-DerivatePhenolic acidAerial parts
Dicaffeoylquinic acids and further caffeic acid esters; antioxidant and antimicrobial.
- [3]MonographGalium aparine — Plants For A Future (PFAF)(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [4]MonographPhytochemical Profiles and In Vitro Immunomodulatory Activity of Ethanolic Extracts from Galium aparine L. — Plants 2019(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [5]MonographBringing back Galium aparine L. from forgotten corners of traditional wound treatment procedures — BMC Complement. Med. Ther. 2024(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [1]WikipediaKletten-Labkraut (Wikipedia DE)(accessed: 2026-05-22)
- [2]WikipediaGalium aparine (Wikipedia EN)(accessed: 2026-05-22)