Common chickweed

Common Name:

chickweed, common

Scientific Name:

Stellaria media

Family:

Caryophyllaceae

Lifecycle:

Annual

Features

Low growing succulent winter annual herb. Opposite, ovate leaves. Stem can be green to purple in color. Flowers with white petals, each petal small and spaced separated from other petals. Flowers surrounded by five sepals that are hairy. Closed flower pod also covered with hairs. Plant is predominantly glabrous except for flower sepals and few loose hairs on stem.

Description

Common weed throughout the United States in turfgrass management and winter crop areas. Also common in sidewalk edges and ornamental plant beds. Depending on the competition areas, plants can form dense stands or few thin stems. Similar to mouseear chickweed, however mouseear is very pubescent, whereas common chickweed is primarily glabrous.