Common Names
Catchweed bedstraw, bedstraw, catchweed, cheese rennet herb, chicus, clabbergrass, cleavers, cleaver’s herb, cleaves, cleverwort, goosegrass, goose’s hare, milksweet, poor robin, savoyan, scratchweed, spring cleavers, turkey grass.

Description
An annual that has a weak, reclining, bristly 4-angled stem, with hairy joints. Leaves occur in whorls of 8. Flowers are white in cymes. Fruit is very bristly.

Flowering Period
May to July.

Habitat
Rich woods, thickets, seashores, waste ground, and shady areas.

Harvest
Herb in May and June, during flowering.

Uses
The U.S. Dispensatory lists the plant as an anti-scorbutic. The herb is also a diuretic, tonic, astringent, antispasmodic; and it is used to treat inflammation of the kidneys and bladder. The seeds are used as a coffee substitute in Sweden; and the dried plant is used as a tea in some countries.