Chickweed II

 

Note from the Author: This is a update and redo of the very first ‘weed’ we ever covered in this series. Way back in 2022 on the blog I talked a bit about Chickweed and it is one of the plants that will emerge at this time of year and is 100% safe to eat raw or cooked. So stay tuned for this update.

 

 

Here we have a close up of the foliage and a fading flower. This plant is extra good looking because it's being cultivated intentionally.

Chickweed can form dense mats of greens which are a delight to eat and very tender.

 

Common Name: Chickweed

 

Other Common Names: Chickenwort, Craches, Maruns, Winterweed, Birdweed, Common Chickweed, Starweed, Starwort.

 

Botanical Family: Caryophyllaceae (The Pink/Carnation Family)

 

Botanical Latin Name: Stellaria media

 

Description & Habitat: Chickweed is a cool season annual herb that is native to Eurasia and North Africa but has naturalized in North America. Most garden guides and or lawn care manuals consider it a weed which is a bit ridiculous since it falls apart when the temperatures rise in late spring or early summer. Chickweed reproduces mainly by seed and will reappear in outdoor potted plants year after year if given the chance. However Chickweed can reproduce vegetatively by rooting at the stem nodes where they contact soil. Chickweed originally gets its name because it was and still is used as a food source for Chickens who prefer it over other wild greens. In the urban landscape you will find it growing in with lawns, in pots or containers and it may appear under shrubs, between the cracks in cement and almost anywhere there is reasonably good moist soil. Chickweed is also called Starweed (insert David Bowie Joke here lol) because of its five deeply divided petals making its tiny white flowers look a lot like little white stars. Chickweed has teardrop to elliptical shaped leaves in opposite configuration. This plant also has a very shallow root system does not form tubers and whole plants can be easily harvested. If you are planning to grow this plant know that it responds to fertilizer with extra lush leafy growth and you can treat it as a cut and come again sort of wild green. Although the NC Invasive Plant council calls this plant invasive it is easily controlled and will die if you shake an herbicide label in its general direction.

 

When & What to Harvest:  The leaves, stems and flowers are all equally edible war or cooked, but try to harvest early or they might get a little bit fibrous.

 

Non-Dangerous Lookalikes:  None are known.

 

Similar Dangerous Species:  None are known.

 

Recipe:  Chickweed is perfectly fine raw in a salad though I do advise washing it thoroughly before eating it this way. Because of all the fine foliage and stems a lot of small to intermediate sized debries can come in with a harvest of chickweed. In NC this is normally small leaves, pine straw and the occasional bug. In terms of flavor Chickweed is fairly mild, and is a bit more flavorful than iceberg lettuce and certainly more nutritious. My preferred way to cook this herb is to use it as a replacement for Spinach in other recipes though one should be mindful that it is a delicate herb and it cooks very quickly so it should be added in the last five or so minutes of cooking to ensure it retains any texture.  By itself it can be cooked as simple pot herb by boiling it for 2 to 5 minutes and being served with your preferred seasonings, butter and a small chopped onion. The aforementioned if served with rice is a pretty healthy meal.

 

Additional Information: (If applicable)

https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/weeds/common-chickweed

 

Where to get seed or Bare Root Plants:

https://sowtrueseed.com/products/chickweed?srsltid=AfmBOopBftP7Nn79FUG18qnxl7rrMhKk2srziMAAmXNz1KZBwegdrBSv

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but my booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog.  In addition to being able to process card payments we now take CashApp payments so your payment options for my product have tripled. With that said; if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic fruit, herbs, flowers and perennials, come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

For those of you wondering what plants are going to be at the market this weekend here is the list.

 

Fresh Foods:

Soup Kit – Parsnip

Soup Kit – Turnip

Turnips

Parsnips

Onions

Celery

Potatoes

Garlic Bulbs

Oyster Mushrooms

 

Soil Amendment Products:

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 18 Gallon Tote*

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 3 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Live Mushroom Compost – 1 Gallon Bag

Carolina Gold, Enhanced Potting Soil – 1 Gallon Bag

 

Houseplants:

Abutilon

Aloe, American

Begonia, Sindbad

Cuban Oregano, Large Leaf

Hoan Ngoc

Pothos, Cebu Blue

Rose Campion

Selaginella

Solanum uleanum

Sorrel, Raspberry Dressing

Swiss Cheese Plant

 

 

*The 18 gallon tote is by special order only and is delivered to any address within the Fayetteville city area.

 

 

How to stay in Contact with Us!

All you need to keep up with all our activities is to have a Nextdoor account and to look for the ‘Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville’ group and ask to join! You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join us! Feel free to ask all your garden questions of our knowledgeable membership and post your cool garden pictures.

 

Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville

 

Also please take a gander at the YouTube version of this blog:

The Videos: Look Here

>Newest videos (1): Winter 2025

 

Meetings are still going on! Our next (unofficial) meeting is January 25^th at the Fayetteville City Market at 325 Franklin Street between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm.