Galium aparine
| Galium aparine | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Galium aparine (common name: goosegrass)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in situ as soon as the seed is ripe in late summer[1]. The seed can also be sown in spring though it may be very slow to germinate[1]. Once established, this plant does not really need any help to reproduce itself.
Cultivation: Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade[1]. Plants tolerate dry soils, but they quickly become scorched when growing in full sun[1]. They do not thrive in a hot climate[1]. Another report says that plants succeed in most soils in full sun or heavy shade.
A scrambling plant, the stems and leaves are covered with little hooked bristles by which it can adhere to other plants and climb into them[2].
A good species to grow in the wild garden, it provides food for the larvae of many butterfly species[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, N. and W. Asia.
Habitat: Hedgerows and as a weed of cultivated land[4]. Moist and grassy places on most types of soil[5].
Edibility: The tender young shoot tips - raw or cooked as a pot-herb[6][4][7][8][9][10][11]. A rather bitter flavour that some people find unpalatable[12], they are best used in the spring[13]. They make a useful addition to vegetable soups[4][12]. It is said that using this plant as a vegetable has a slimming effect on the body[14].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[15][7][9]. One of the best substitutes, it merely needs to be dried and lightly roasted and has much the flavour of coffee[2][16][11].
A decoction of the whole dried plant gives a drink equal to tea[15][2].
Medicinal: Goosegrass has a long history of domestic medicinal use and is also used widely by modern herbalists. A valuable diuretic, it is often taken to treat skin problems such as seborrhoea, eczema and psoriasis, and as a general detoxifying agent in serious illnesses such as cancer[17].
The whole plant, excluding the root, is alterative, antiphlogistic, aperient, astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, tonic and vulnerary[2][4][18][19][20][21][22]. It is harvested in May and June as it comes into flower and can be used fresh or dried for later use[2][14]. It is used both internally and externally in the treatment of a wide range of ailments, including as a poultice for wounds, ulcers and many other skin problems[2][4][12], and as a decoction for insomnia and cases where a strong diuretic is beneficial[2]. It has been shown of benefit in the treatment of glandular fever, ME, tonsillitis, hepatitis, cystitis etc[14]. The plant is often used as part of a spring tonic drink with other herbs[2].
A tea made from the plant has traditionally been used internally and externally in the treatment of cancer[2][21][22]. One report says that it is better to use a juice of the plant rather than a tea[17]. The effectiveness of this treatment has never been proved or disproved[4].
A number of species in this genus contain asperuloside, a substance that produces coumarin and gives the scent of new-mown hay as the plant dries[14]. Asperuloside can be converted into prostaglandins (hormone-like compounds that stimulate the uterus and affect blood vessels), making the genus of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry[14].
A homeopathic remedy has been made from the plant[4].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from a decoction of the root[2][4][23]. When ingested it can dye the bones red[2].
The dried plant is used as a tinder[24].
The plant can be rubbed on the hands to remove pitch (tar)[24].
The stems are placed in a layer 8cm or more thick and then used as a sieve for filtering liquids[2][16][10].
Pollinators: Flies, beetles, self
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The sap of the plant can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people[22].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan, 1982.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ Harris, Ben. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health, 1973.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Turner, Nancy. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum, 1979.