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Summary
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Early spring, Early winter, Late summer, Late fall, Late spring, Late winter, Mid summer, Mid fall, Mid spring, Mid winter. Form: Spreading or horizontal.
Physical Characteristics
Stellaria media is a ANNUAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower all year, and the seeds ripen all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Alsine media. Alsine apetala. Arenaria vulgaris. Stellaria vulgaris.
Habitats
Cultivated Beds;
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves Seed
Edible Uses:
Young leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[2, 7, 9, 12, 52, 54, 183]. They can be available all year round if the winter is not too severe[85]. Very nutritious, they can be added to salads whilst the cooked leaves can scarcely be distinguished from spring spinach[4, K]. The leaves contain saponins so some caution is advised, see the note on toxicity at the top of the page. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. Seed - ground into a powder and used in making bread or to thicken soups[172, 183]. It would be very fiddly to harvest any quantity of this seed since it is produced in small quantities throughout most of the year and is very small[K]. The seed contains 17.8% protein and 5.9% fat[218]. Stellaria media is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku.
References More on Edible Uses
| Composition
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| Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.
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Leaves (Dry weight)
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- 0 Calories per 100g
- Water : 0%
- Protein: 14.5g; Fat: 2.4g; Carbohydrate: 63.9g; Fibre: 20.5g; Ash: 19.3g;
- Minerals - Calcium: 0mg; Phosphorus: 0mg; Iron: 0mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 0mg; Zinc: 0mg;
- Vitamins - A: 30mg; Thiamine (B1): 0.02mg; Riboflavin (B2): 0.14mg; Niacin: 0.51mg; B6: 0mg; C: 375mg;
- Reference: [ 218]
- Notes: The figure for vitamin A is in mg
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Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antirheumatic Astringent Carminative Demulcent Depurative Diuretic Emmenagogue Expectorant
Galactogogue Kidney Laxative Ophthalmic Poultice Refrigerant TB
Vulnerary
Chickweed has a very long history of herbal use, being particularly beneficial in the external treatment of any kind of itching skin condition[238]. It has been known to soothe severe itchiness even where all other remedies have failed[254]. In excess doses chickweed can cause diarrhoea and vomiting[254]. It should not be used medicinally by pregnant women[254]. The whole plant is astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary[4, 7, 9, 21, 54, 165, 222]. Taken internally it is useful in the treatment of chest complaints and in small quantities it also aids digestion[254]. It can be applied as a poultice and will relieve any kind of roseola and is effective wherever there are fragile superficial veins[7]. An infusion of the fresh or dried herb can be added to the bath water and its emollient property will help to reduce inflammation - in rheumatic joints for example - and encourage tissue repair[254]. Chickweed is best harvested between May and July, it can be used fresh or be dried and stored for later use[4, 238]. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic[218]. It is also believed to relieve constipation and be beneficial in the treatment of kidney complaints[244]. The decoction is also used externally to treat rheumatic pains, wounds and ulcers[4, 218, 222]. The expressed juice of the plant has been used as an eyewash[244].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch. Eaten by chickens, wild birds, and mountain sheep. A food plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly species. Suitable for cut flowers, and for dried flowers. Farmers in Scandanavia encourage its growth as they believe a ground cover results in better fruit quality and yield [1-8]. Erosion control or dune stabilization [1-8].
Special Uses
Attracts Wildlife Dynamic accumulator Food Forest
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
A very easily grown plant, it prefers moist soil and a position in full sun or partial shade[52, 238]. It can be very lush and vigorous when grown in fertile soil[1], but in infertile soils, it will flower and set seed whilst still very small. A very common garden weed, chickweed grows, flowers and sets seed all year round. The flowers open around 9 o'clock in the morning and remain open for about 12 hours[4]. They do not open in dull weather[4]. The leaves fold up at night time, enfolding and protecting the tender buds of new shoots[4]. Extended bloom season in Zones 9A and above. S. media is an annual, winter annual (capable of survival during milder winters) or sometimes perennial herb [1-8]. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A self-seeding annual [1-2]. A clumping mat former. Forming a dense prostrate carpet spreading indefinitely [1-2]. The root pattern is fibrous dividing into a large number of fine roots [1-2].
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:
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Propagation
Seed - this species should not need any encouragement, you are much more likely to be trying to get rid of it than trying to introduce it (eating it is one way of doing that!)[K].
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Common chickweed, Chickenwort, Craches, Maruns, Winterweed, Star-of-Bethlehem.
Native Plant Search
Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search
Found In
Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available
S. media is native to Europe, but has been spread through man's activities throughout the world, and is now one of the most widespread weeds in the world. It occurs throughout Europe, except for the extreme north of Scandinavia and Russia. It extends from the tropical regions of Africa, South America and Asia to the Arctic (Polunin, 1954) and sub-Antarctic islands (Walton, 1975). In the UK, it ranges in altitude from sea level to 950 m, in Europe, it reaches 2470 m and in the Himalayas to 4408 m. In the tropics, it is usually only found at higher altitudes, for example, in Colombia, it is one of the most aggressive weeds at 2600 m and grows to the same altitude in Java, Indonesia [1-8].
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
S. media is a cosmopolitan, widespread and highly successful weedy species. It occurs in cereals, sugarbeet, vegetable and fruit crops, orchards, plantation crops and pastures. It is potentially a weed of almost any crop grown within its geographical range [1-8].
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(L.)Vill.
Botanical References
17
Links / References
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