Stellaria Species, Chickenwort, Chickweed, Passerina, Starweed, Star Chickweed,

Stellariamedia

Family
Caryophyllaceae (kar-ree-oh-fil-AY-see-ee)
Genus
Stellaria (stell-AR-ee-uh)
Species
media (MEED-ee-uh)
Synonym
Alsine media
Sun Exposure
Light Shade
Foliage
Herbaceous
Height
6-12 in. (15-30 cm)
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
Spacing
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Hardiness
Not Applicable
Danger
N/A
Bloom Color
White/Near White
Bloom Time
Blooms all year
Other Details
Category
Annuals
Water Requirements
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Foliage Color
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size
Other details
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting
Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Phoenix, Arizona

Blytheville, Arkansas

Ellendale, Delaware

Bartow, Florida

Brooksville, Florida

Georgetown, Florida

Pensacola, Florida

Brunswick, Georgia

Madison, Illinois

Greenville, Indiana

Winamac, Indiana

Barbourville, Kentucky

Benton, Kentucky

Salvisa, Kentucky

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Ossineke, Michigan

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Saint Louis, Missouri

Missoula, Montana

Deposit, New York

Millersburg, Pennsylvania

Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

Conway, South Carolina

Laurens, South Carolina

Fort Worth, Texas

Mc Kinney, Texas

Richmond, Texas

Onancock, Virginia

Seattle, Washington

Spokane, Washington

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Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

2
positives
2
neutrals
3
negatives
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G
San Francisco, CA | August 2012 | positive

I am so very happy that I have a good amount of chickweed, finally, and that it keeps coming up. I'm very grateful for the ease of growth...Read More

V
(Zone 8a) | January 2010 | negative

This plant is a weed in my area. Easy to remove but when it grows, it's everywhere. It has a beautiful white star flower but it isn't pre...Read More

I
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA (Zone 9a) | February 2009 | negative

Success? I wish I were LESS successful with this darn plant! It reseeds like crazy and engulfs everything in sight. As far as I'm conc...Read More

M
Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) | February 2008 | negative

I will consider this weed on my list of 10 worst weeds - (chuckles) easy to pull out? Nooooooooo - they are actually one of the hardest w...Read More

F
Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) | December 2006 | neutral

Chickweed, Starweed, Star Chickweed, Passerina Stellaria media
isnaturalized in Texas and other States and is considered an in...Read More

S
Rife, PA (Zone 6a) | October 2006 | positive

"The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America: Nature's Green Feast" by Francois Couplan, Ph.D. has this to say about Chickweed....Read More

M
Bartow, FL (Zone 9a) | June 2004 | neutral

The best thing I can say for this little weed is that it is fairly easy to pull up. It grows so thick that other, harder to pull weeds a...Read More

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