Common Chickweed (Stellaria media ), Caryophyllaceae

Common Chickweed description

Germinates around November and matures by March or April.

Propagation

Winter annual. The common chickweed is often spread via the sale of contaminated crop seeds.

Similar species

Mouseear chickweed

Distribution

Occurs in a wide range of habitats ranging from lawns to crops. It is to the floor of deciduous forests. It occurs in all agricultural regions of the country.

Identifying Common Chickweed

Seedling

Seedling leaves are egg-shaped and opposite. Plant is often reddish with few hairs. Unique stem hairs occur in one or two straight lines. Stems root at internodes. Flowers appear to have 10 petals, but are actually five deeply lobed petals.

Mature plant

Sanitation is key. Brittle stems and roots make hand weeding difficult. Pre-emergence herbicides with oxadiazon are ineffective in controlling chickweed.

Root structure description

Fibrous, shallow. Roots at nodes.