Stellaria media (L.) Vill.

Common Chickweed

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Common Chickweed is a non-native herbaceous member of the Pink family (CARYOPHYLLACEAE). It is a native of Europe, but occurs throughout Alabama. Common Chickweed occurs in gardens, flower beds, greenhouses, fallow fields, on roadsides, along creeks, and in other disturbed habitats. It is a cool season annual which grows and flowers during the winter and spring. When temperatures begin to rise Common Chickweed will die. This plant gets its common name because it is eagerly sought and eaten by chickens. It is also edible for humans, and can be eaten raw in salads. Common Chickweed grows as a prostrate mat. The leaves are opposite, rounded with a pointed tip, and either an entire margin or with hairs along the margin. The stems have a line of fine hairs along one side. The flowers are white with five deeply divided petals. They are produced near the ends of the stems. The fruit is a capsule containing many small seed. Common Chickweed resembles some of the Mouse Ear Chickweeds (genus Cerastium), and often grows with them. Mouse Ear Chickweeds have a more up-right growth form, leaves that are pubescent, and the stems are uniformly hairy. --A. Diamond

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Not Native FACU (NWPL)

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