Common Chickweed – Identification, Foraging, and Uses

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a wild plant that pops up in gardens and lawns—and often gets pulled and tossed without a second thought. But this humble “weed” is surprisingly useful. From fresh salads to soothing skin remedies, chickweed is a nutrient-rich plant ally hiding in plain sight.

We’ll cover common chickweed identification, tips for safe foraging, how to use it in the kitchen and medicine cabinet. We also have tips to keep it from taking over the garden, if needed.

I became acquainted with chickweed in the summer of 2010. Huge swaths of German chamomile were growing in my garden where it had reseeded from previous years. Mixed in with the chamomile were plants with small white flowers that were similar in size.

I took a big box of chamomile with to the farmer’s market to load into my dehydrator between customers. (Our little market was pretty slow, and the boys were helping man the table).

When I showed the mystery flower to the other market vendors, not one person could identify it. “It’s just another weed” was the main response. (Disappointing!)

I finally recognized the plant as I was reading through Healing Wise. Susun’s fanciful description of “the little star lady of the fields who spreads her stars at your feet” gave me an “Ah hah!” moment. The flowers really do look like a field of stars on a green background.

What is Common Chickweed?

Stellaria media is a cool-season annual that grows close to the ground and thrives in moist, fertile soils. It often appears in early spring and fall in garden beds, shady lawns, and disturbed soils.

• Botanical name: Stellaria media
• Plant family: Caryophyllaceae (pink family)
• Growth habit: Sprawling, mat-forming herbaceous plant

It prefers cooler temps to scorching sun, and is a winter weed in warm climate areas. In the book “Weeds, Control Without Poisons“, the author notes that chickweed often thrives on excess organic matter. This explains the patch of it growing at the lawn edge where grass clippings stack up.

How to Identify Common Chickweed

Even though chickweed blends in with other greenery, a few key features can help you spot it:

• Flowers: Tiny flowers with five deeply cleft white petals—often mistaken for ten petals. These are one of the easiest features to spot.
• Leaves: Small, oval, opposite leaves with pointed tips. Lower leaves have stalks; upper leaves do not.
• Stems: Delicate and green with a single line of fine white hairs running down one side.
• Roots: Fibrous and shallow. Easy to pull by hand.
• Growth pattern: Dense mats that can smother other seedlings.

Tip: If you’re unsure whether you’ve got Stellaria media or a look-alike, gently bend a stem. Chickweed’s inner core (xylem) will often stretch and snap like a rubber band.

Is Chickweed Edible?

Yes! Common chickweed is one of the tastier wild edibles. The flavor is mild – even the stems aren’t too chewy. It’s packed with nutrients like vitamin C, iron, calcium, and magnesium. I include it in my salad mixes when I’m out harvesting greens in the garden.

Some ideas:

• Add fresh to salads or sandwiches for a crisp, spinach-like bite.
• Blend into green smoothies or pesto for extra nutrition.
• Chop and toss into scrambled eggs, soups, or stir-fries (cook gently – it’s best raw)

The plants are best when young and tender. Older stems can get stringy. Always harvest from clean areas away from pesticides or road runoff.

Medicinal Uses of Chickweed

In traditional herbal medicine, chickweed has a history of use for cooling inflammation and supporting skin healing.

Top Chickweed Remedies:

• Salves: Great for itchy skin, rashes, bug bites, and mild burns. Combine with calendula or plantain for added benefits.
• Poultices: Apply fresh mashed leaves directly to skin irritations or minor wounds. It’s also good for pinkeye.
• Teas or tinctures: Traditionally used for mild constipation, inflammation, and respiratory congestion.

Susun sings heavy praises of the power of chickweed. Healing Wise states:

The little star lady chickweed is a powerful nourisher to the glandular and lymphatic systems. Apply poultices externally, as needed. Twice daily doses of 40 drops of fresh tincture are used with other Wise Woman ways for those with thyroid irregularities, reproductive cysts, ovarian cancers, and testicular troubles such as cancers, swelling, burning, or itching.

She also recommends it for digestive issues, internal organ health, wound healing, weight loss, joint pain relief, and eye healing.

The book Backyard Medicine suggests using chickweed topically for itches, bites, stings, inflammations, burns, swellings, sunburn, bruises, splinters and sore eyes.

Make a soothing chickweed bath by gathering a few handfuls of fresh chickweed. Bundle it in a piece of fabric (or an old sock). Hang the bundle under the running water as you fill your bath.

Poultices used on infections, such as pinkeye, must be thrown away after use. Poultices used on clean wounds and unbroken skin can be reused several times if chickweed is in short supply.

Note: While chickweed is generally safe, avoid internal use during pregnancy or if you’re allergic to members of the Caryophyllaceae family.

Wildlife Uses of Chickweed

Rabbits and groundhogs will browse chickweed, especially the young, tender shoots. Deer may nibble on it when other greens are in short supply, although it’s not a top preference. The flowers provide nectar and pollen of small native bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators. Chickweed produces tiny seeds that are a favorite of many songbirds, including: sparrows, doves, finches, and juncos.

Common Look-Alikes

There are a few plants that resemble Stellaria media but have key differences:

• Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis): Orange or red flowers; not edible.
• Mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum): Hairier leaves and stems; perennial rather than annual.
• Purslane (Portulaca oleracea): Thick, succulent leaves and a slightly sour flavor.
• Radium weed (Euphorbia peplus): Milky sap when broken, irritating to skin. Do not ingest.

As always with wild plants—if you’re not 100% sure, don’t eat it.

How to Get Rid of Chickweed

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. I’ve seen more than one reader complain that chickweed likes to take over their garden. Chickweed is shallow rooted, so although it may look like a green carpet, it’s easy to remove.

If it has not yet flowered, The Gardener’s Weed Book, Barbara recommends tilling it under as green manure. Don’t do this after it flowers! The plant continues to mature and set seed even after it has been pulled from the soil.

Barbara recommends winding it up like spaghetti on a tined garden tool such as a rake or pronged hand spade. I usually hand pull it if it tries to take over. Overall it’s pretty well behaved and I’m happy to have it around to eat and to brighten up the garden.

Chickweed and the Soil Connection

According to the book When Weeds Talk by Jay L. McCaman, common chickweed is an indicator of rich soil with good organic matter—but often low in calcium and phosphorus. It thrives in cool, damp conditions and tends to fade in hot, dry weather.

If you see a lot of chickweed, it may be time to:

• Add calcium (e.g., gypsum or soft rock phosphate)
• Improve drainage in compacted areas
• Monitor phosphorus levels to support flowering and fruiting plants

Letting chickweed grow in early spring or fall can also act as a living mulch or green manure. It helps retain moisture, protects the soil, and can be turned under before planting your crops.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

More Herbal Resources

This article is part of the Weekly Weeder series, where we learn how to identify, use, and manage wild plants.

You may also enjoy other related articles, including:

• My Favorite Foraging & Wildcrafting Books
• Common Blue Violet – Identification, Use, Folklore
• Wild Strawberries – Foraging, Growing, and Look-Alikes

For more in depth plant studies, consider The Herbal Academy. They offer learn at your own pace research tools through The Herbarium, and online courses from beginner to advanced.

This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie was raised on a small dairy farm in northwest Wisconsin, where she gathered wildflowers from the woods and pastures. She and her family now live in northeast Wisconsin, where they combine intentional plantings and semi-wild areas. Every season is a new opportunity to learn more about working with wild plants.

Originally published in 2011, updated in 2025.