by Lydia Holley August 21, 2023
In the spring, I battled Stickyweed (Galium aparine), also known as Catchweed Bedstraw, Cleavers, Goosegrass, Stickywilly, or Velcro plant. The leaves catch hold of anything nearby, and even its latin name, aparine, means ‘clinging.’
Stickyweed does not grow upright, but flops over—I believe on purpose to reach out and grab your ankles. The reason it is so sticky is because it has miniature hairy hooks on every part of the plant: the stems, the leaves, and the seed. Pulling it out of the garden is a chore because it just will not let go, wrapping itself around your arm and clinging to your gloves even as you try to discard it.
The good news is that Cornell states, “Few seeds of Catchweed Bedstraw last longer than two years in the soil.” That means, if you have stickyweed in your garden, keep pulling it out. If you do not let it go to seed, you should be able to eradicate it within a couple of years.
Now that summer is here, I am battling another plant with sticky parts: Spreading Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis), also known as Common Hedge Parsley, or my favorite, the name which perfectly describes this plant’s most distinctive trait: Tall Sock-Destroyer. Though the flowers were pretty and butterflies seemed to enjoy them, dealing with their seeds are not worth the small amount of beauty this weed brings.
Because the seeds have an abundance of prickles, they cling to animal fur and clothing. I even find them in my hair, and each seed takes an overly frustrating amount of time to remove. They end up in the wash where they cling to other articles of clothing, causing discomfort to various body parts. My cats dislike it as much as I do, and seem to always find a patch, bringing in seeds every time they are let out.
Sometimes, gardening is a delight. Sometimes, however, we have to arm ourselves and do battle. From now on, I am going to try to remove these two weeds before they have a chance to go to seed so I—and my cats—can once again enjoy the garden’s beauty.
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