Whilst I was pottering around in the garden yesterday, I remembered a weed that should really have made my top 5. The reason I forgot it the other day was that I’ve had moderate success at removing it from the garden, and it disappears in winter anyway. Out of sight out of mind.

The weed in question is goosegrass, Galium aparine, also known as Cleavers, Clivers, Stickywilly, Stickyweed, Catchweed, Robin-run-the-hedge and Coachweed.
The leaves, seeds and stem of this plant are covered with fine hairs tipped with tiny hooks which means it sticks to just about anything, in particular clothing and fur. Natures very own Velcro. Consequently it’s quite easy when you’re weeding you spread it far and wide to other parts of the garden, aiding in seed dispersal. Clever eh?

It climbs up through other plants or along hedgerow bottoms. If left un-checked it can smother shrubs, hedges and trees with swathes of it’s dense tangled mass. It’s only saving grace is that it is very easy to pull out. I’m told it can be made into tea and coffee like drinks, and also has medicinal properties, but I won’t be experimenting with these anytime soon.

As I say, I’ve had reasonable success at removing it from the garden simply by pulling it out on a regular basis. There are still little pockets of resistance here and there, but these tend to be in the more inaccessible places. I wish the other weeds were as easy to control.

goosegrass