Goosegrass Wild Edible Food

Goosegrass (Galium aparine) is an annual plant belonging to a group known as cleavers. They are also called cleavers because they have small hooked hairs which will cause the plant to Velcro itself to your clothes.

Goosegrass has a creeping straggling manner meaning it grows along the ground and over other plants. Goosegrass stems can reach as much as three feet long but usually are about one and a half feet long. The leaves are simple, not compound leaves and are arranged in whorls, with each whorl having six to eight leaves.

Goosegrass is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia and has been naturalized, Central America, South America and Australia.

Galium aparine is edible and can be eaten raw but due to all the Velcro like hairs if you can it would be better if cooked first. The small fruits of goose grass can be dried and roasted, and used as a coffee substitute.

The plant isn't super abundant but if you find a patch of it growing you should be able protect the patch and it will be available every spring and will likely increase in area.