Together with Blackberries, I would bet Cleavers are one of the first plants you’ve foraged…to engage in the age-old game of sticking them on the backs of your friends and family.
Only the young leaf tips of cleavers and the seeds are of any real use for the food forager. The hardened seeds can be roasted and used to make a quite pleasant coffee subsitute, and the young tops can be added to salads and soups.
Cleavers are present in a wide variety of habitats, particularly in nutrient-rich soils. They are abundant across the UK, often found in hedgerows, woodland edges, and other disturbed areas.
