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Common Chickweed

Stellaria media

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
(in flower all year round)

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Caryophyllaceae (Pink)

Also in this family:

Annual Pearlwort, Bladder Campion, Bog Stitchwort, Bouncing Bett, Clove Pink, Common Corn-cockle, Common Mouse-ear, Common Soapwort, Corn Spurrey, Greater Chickweed, Greater Stitchwort, Knotted Pearlwort, Lesser Sea-spurrey, Lesser Stitchwort, Procumbent Pearlwort, Ragged Robin, Red Campion, Rock Sea-spurrey, Sea Campion, Sea Sandwort, Snow-in-summer, Spring Sandwort, Sticky Mouse-ear, Three-nerved Sandwort, Thyme-leaved Sandwort, White Campion

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Annual

Maximum Size:

30 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Farmland, gardens, roadsides, seaside, wasteland, woodland.

Flower:

White, 5 petals

Tiny white flowers with 5 deeply notched petals. 5 green hairy sepals with membranous edges. 3-8 yellowish stamens, later turning reddish brown.

Fruit:

Green, hairy, oval fruits on long drooping stalks.

Leaves:

Light green opposite leaves, pointed and hairless. The lower leaves are stalked.

Aroma:

The leaves have a fresh sweet smell.

Other Names:

Adder's Mouth, Chickenwort, Chickwittles, Craches, Indian Chickweed, Maruns, Mischievous Jack, Nodding Chickweed, Satinflower, Scarweed, Star Chickweed, Starweed, Starwort, Stitchwort, Tongue Grass, White Bird's Eye, Winterweed.

Frequency (UK):

Abundant

Similar Species:

Greater Chickweed

Common Mouse-ear

Sticky Mouse-ear

Three-nerved Sandwort

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map