This spring, before the temperatures spiked super high and nothing grew anymore, my back yard became a site for this odd weed I didn't remember seeing before. A light to mid green color, growing up rather than spreading, and extremely sticky proliferating nuisance. I'd try not to touch it because it was so tough to remove it from my hands. In looking online as to what in the world this weed is, I found it was called Galium aparine. It's also called cleavers, catchweed, bedstraw, sticky willy and some other names that are probably more colorful because I'm sure many people despise it as much as me.
Cleavers can grow up to four feet tall and are covered with hooked hairs. These are what cling to anything and everything with a vengeance, much like hyper Velcro. Although I don't recommend it, the leaves and stems of the weed are edible if cooked. Teas can be made from its dry leaves. Dry and roast the fruits to make a drink similar to coffee. Its roots can be used to make a red dye. Personally, I decided to eliminate it from my yard.
