Cleaver (Galium aparine).
Cleaver aka Bedstraw, Sticky Willy or Velcro Plant is a short-lived herbaceous plant with a trailing, scrambling or weakly climbing habit. This species is commonly found growing in temperate areas, but also inhabits sub-tropical and semi-arid regions.
It is a popular herbal remedy that is often used to reduce swelling, boost energy, and treat infections.
Cleaver can germinate and young plants continue to grow over mild Winters, although mature plants die before frost starts. Adult Cleaver are very competitive, and when very large choke wheat crops by growing over the top of the canopy.
Seeds cling to fur or clothing, and require chilling before germination.
The distribution map for Cleaver is courtesy of The Atlas of Living Australia.
After you read this, you will be able to:
- Identify Cleavers aka Bedstraw, Sticky Willy or Velcro Plant.
- Know the habitat of Cleavers aka Bedstraw, Sticky Willy or Velcro Plant .
- Know the best cultural and chemical ways to control Cleavers aka Bedstraw, Sticky Willy or Velcro Plant.
Key Takeaways.
- You cannot control large outbreaks of Cleaver by Cultural means only.
- It spreads by seed.
- It is very susceptible to Bromoxynil.
- It is very sticky and seeds attach themselves to animal fur and machinery.
How to Identify Cleaver.
Cleaver is a scrambling or twining annual up to 1.5 m long.
Category: Broadleaf (Dicot).
Photosynthetic Pathway: C3 Weed.
Flower: The flowers are whitish and about 1 mm long and 1 – 2 mm across. They are in small clusters in the leaf forks
Height: The stems can reach up to 0.9 m or longer, and are angular or square shaped.
Leaf length: The leaves of Velco Plant are tapered at their base, and 10 – 60 mm long.
Leaf Width: The leaves are 2 – 8 mm wide, and have a point up to 1 mm long.
Reproduction: This species reproduces by seeds, which are spread by water, wind and machinery, and in soil and dumped garden waste. Because of the hooked hairs on the fruit, seeds easily become attached to clothing and animals.
- Seed longevity: 1–5 years
- Germination depth: 7 cm
- Seeds/flower: 2
- Seeds/plant: 300–400
Comments:
The easy ways to identify Cleaver:
- The stems are hollow, square in section with ridges at the corners and
- As its name “Velcro Plant” suggests, the entire plant feels sticky.
Habitat: It is a weed of crops, orchards, gardens, pastures, grasslands, open woodlands, closed forests and margins, waterways and wetlands. Cleaver are often found along fencelines or on waste land.
Cleavers are a good indicator weed of loamy soils, and are found in soil pH’s ranging from 5.5 to 8.0. For more information on weeds check out our weed ID Chart.
How to control Cleaver.
You can control Velcro Weed by cultural and chemical means, but successful management of this weed is best if you adopt an integrated approach.
Cultural control:
Only relying on cultural means to control Cleaver does not work. However, for small infestations you can hand remove plants before they flower and produce seeds, especially in early Spring when the soil is damp. They are shallow rooted at this stage and pull out easily.
Chemical control of Cleaver:
The cuticle of Cleaver or Velcro Plant has an amorphous wax coating which makes penetration by most herbicides more difficult. However, there are several options that do work and are readily available.
The following products are not necessarily registered in Australia for this weed so overseas work is referenced where appropriate.
Post Emergent
Cleaver is tolerant of straight applications of 2,4-D and MCPA but is very susceptible to Bromoxynil, and a mix of Bromoxynil and MCPA. So options worth looking at include Stature Herbicide and ProForce Weed blast MA.
In the UK, diflufenican (the active in Warhead herbicide) gives around 90% control in cereals.
Prosulfocarb the active in Casper Turf Herbicide is very effective but you cannot use this on Buffalo turf.
You can use Ethofumesate (500g/L) at 3 – 6L /Ha for control in Beet crops and ryegrass pastures in Australia.
Failing that you can use Numchuk Quad, Cortex Duo or Glyphosate as a non selective options to control Cleaver. Be aware if you use Numchuk Quad or Cortex Duo these kill all existing vegetation, and also have a residual of 12 and 3 months respectively.
If you use Glyphosate and water quality is an issue then use ProForce Manta Ray.
