Hello hello! Thank you for the sweet reception to my last note! I’m so glad I shared the big news. I’m back with:
An herbal monograph: Cleavers aparine
Thoughts on “Spring Drinks”
Birch & Ginger oxymel: a recipe that will wow your friends at your next dinner party
Notable photos from this week, including rare footage of Hayden and I dressed up
Cleavers
Aparine gallium, Rubiaceae
Cleavers is a springtime herb that feels like throwing open the windows on the first warm and windy day of spring; refreshing and clarifying.
This herbaceous coffee family relative is a friendly little plant, familiar to many as a common “weed” of spring and early summer that has the property of velcro, so that one could snip a stem and stick it to their shirt as a make-shift corsage. This abundant plant creates small stands throughout North America and across Europe, making its home in fields, the edges of farms, vacant lots, and city side walks.
Cleavers is like a refreshing gust of wind, blowing through the house after a long winter, sweeping out last year’s debris and making way for the warmer weather. This is how Cleavers works in the body, a tonic for the lymphatic system, traditionally taken in the spring to clear out stagnation. David Hoffmann calls Cleavers the “best tonic to the lymphatic system available.” This is perhaps because many herbs specific to the lymphatic system are drying, or harsh, or simply unsuitable for daily use. Cleavers, however, is classified as a sweet tonic and safe enough for children. This is one of those herbs that is nourishing and building and gentle enough to be taken daily.