Rubia cordifolia is a climbing or creeping herbaceous  perennial plant. Supporting itself upon other plants by means  of its recorved  prickles. The stems becomes woody at their base. The plant is mainly gathered from the wild for use as dye plant, food and medicine.

Mitari Emmanuel uses the plant to treat  gonnhorea.  In eeast African countries, boiled roots decoction  drunk thrice cures  slow action in stomach disorders and used  as an antidote for general poisoning. Leaves and stems are pounded and the extract so obtained administered for the  treatment of diarrhea. The whole plante may be pounded, mixed with gallium spirium, and used for the treatment of sores in the mouth.  Rubbia cordifolia is a blood purifying herb. It cools and detoxifies the  the blood remove stagnant  and dissolves obstraction in the blood flow. It can also be uused to treat uric acid and arthritis.

The root are alterative, anodyne, antiphlogistic. Antitussive, astringent, diuretic, ememnagogue, expectorant, hypotensive, stypic, tonic and vulneraly. The stems are used in blood disorder. The leaves are antiseptic and  astringent.

The plant Is used as an ornamental climber.