Chickweed is a winter annual. It usually starts growing in fall, continues to spread somewhat slowly through the winter, then flowers and produces seed in spring. Normally it dies back by summer, although it sometimes persists if that season is cool and cloudy. Stellaria is one of the more popular "salad weeds" - if you've ever eaten any weed, chances are one of them was chickweed.
This weed only reproduces via seeds, but controlling it can sometimes be hard. Chickweed has the habit of rooting whenever a leaf node touches the ground. Pulling or hoeing can kill it, and also it can be turned under like a green manure, as long as the entire plant goes under.
If you're a winter gardener, you've dealt with this winter annual. This low-growing plant roots at the leaf nodes as it spreads. The flowers of this edible appear in early spring.
Genus: Stellaria
Species: media
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Common Name: Chickweed
Origin: Europe (?)
All contents © Travis Saling
This page was last updated
November 18, 2013