Stellaria media

Stellaria media - chickweed - is a widespread annual weed in North America, Europe and Asia. It is edible, and often fed to chickens - hence the common name. Stellaria media can be distinguished from all other members of this family by looking at the stems. Stellaria media has fine hairs on only one side only of the stem in a single band, and also on the sepals whereas other members of the Caryophyllaceae family which are similar, have hairs covering the whole stem. The white flowers are small, white and have deeply notched petals, and can appear at any time of the year. The seeds germinate easily and quickly, and the plant can get out of control very easily. 4 or 5 generations of seed can occur in a single year, and buried seed can remain viable for up to 25 years!. TThe leaves are oval and opposite, the lower ones with stalks. Flowers are white and small with 5 very deeply lobed petals. The stamens are usually 3 and the styles 3.[1] The flowers are followed quickly by the seed pods. This plant flowers and sets seed at the same time. As foodEdit Stellaria media is edible and nutritious, and is used as a leaf vegetable, often raw in salads.[8] It is one of the ingredients of the symbolic dish consumed in the Japanese spring-time festival, Nanakusa-no-sekku.

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  Full sun to partial shade

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  Very little water

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  Full Frost Hardy: 5F (-15°C)

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  All soil conditions