Klettenlabkraut

Prefers a loose moist leafy soil in some shade. Plants tolerate dry soils, but they quickly become scorched when growing in full sun. They do not thrive in a hot climate. Another report says that plants succeed in most soils in full sun or heavy shade. A scrambling plant, the stems and leaves are covered with little hooked bristles by which it can adhere to other plants and climb into them. A good species to grow in the wild garden, it provides food for the larvae of many butterfly species.

Edible Parts: Leaves Shoots Edible Uses: Coffee Tea The tender young shoot tips - raw or cooked as a pot-herb. A rather bitter flavour that some people find unpalatable, they are best used in the spring. They make a useful addition to vegetable soups. It is said that using this plant as a vegetable has a slimming effect on the body. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. One of the best substitutes, it merely needs to be dried and lightly roasted and has much the flavour of coffee. A decoction of the whole dried plant gives a drink equal to tea.

Cleanser Dye Filter Tinder A red dye is obtained from a decoction of the root. When ingested it can dye the bones red. The dried plant is used as a tinder. The plant can be rubbed on the hands to remove pitch (tar). The stems are placed in a layer 8cm or more thick and then used as a sieve for filtering liquids.

Heimisch: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Canary Is., Central European Russia, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Engerdal, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Gulf States, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Manchuria, Rauland Eingeführt: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Amur, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Columbia, Burundi, California, Cape Verde, Chatham Is., Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Crozet Is., DR Congo, Delaware, District of Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Florida, Føroyar, Georgia, Greenland, Haiti, Hawaii, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Juan Fernández Is., Kamchatka, Kansas, Kentucky, Khabarovsk, Labrador, Louisiana, Magadan, Maine, Reunion