Species PlantsCleavers

Cleavers

Galium aparine

CommonPlant
Illustration of Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Cleavers is an annual vine with tiny hooked hairs that cause it to cling ('cleave') to clothing, fur, and feathers, earning it names like 'sticky willy.' It grows in moist, disturbed habitats, forest edges, and thickets across North America. Its sticky seeds are dispersed by attaching to animal fur and bird feathers.

Habitat
Moist forest edges, thickets, and disturbed areas across North America
Diet
Seeds dispersed by adhering to fur and feathers of mammals and birds
How common
Common

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