Herb comparison
Cleavers (Galium aparine) vs Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa)
Both plants are listed as traditional remedies for 2 of the same conditions, which is why they are easy to confuse. Their descriptions and full safety notes are below, free.
- About
- Cleavers is a straggling, square-stemmed annual growing to 4 feet with whorls of lance-shaped leaves, clusters of small white flowers, and small round green fruits covered with hooked prickles. The name refers to the plant's ability to cling (or cleave) to fur or clothing. Common throughout Europe and North America and found in many other temperate regions including Australia, it grows prolifically in gardens and along roadsides. The Greek physician Dioscorides in the 1st century CE considered it useful for countering weariness and noted that shepherds used the stems to make sieves for straining milk.Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa) is a perennial growing to about 1-2 ft (30-60 cm), with sticky leaves and purple tubular flowers. One of the most prized herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s considered both cooling (raw) and nourishing (prepared), supporting liver, kidneys, blood, and longevity.
- Safety & precautions
- No known warnings. Generally safe for internal and external use.Pregnancy: Consult a practitioner. Diarrhea or Appetite Loss: Not advised if these symptoms are prominent, as rehmannia can be cooling and heavy on digestion.
Safety text above is printed in full and is never abbreviated. For each plant’s complete precautions, drug and food interactions and preparation notes, open its own page - both are free.