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Chickweed
Other common names: Starweed, bindweed, winterweed, satin flower, tongue grass.
Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a matted, herbaceous, winter annual broadleaf plant. Chickweed
is a prolific spring weed as it thrives under cool, wet conditions. It rarely tolerates hot, dry
conditions that occur in late spring or early summer. Other common names for chickweed include starweed,
winterweed, satin flower and tongue grass.
Chickweed is more regarded as a weed than as a useful plant, but has a place in folk medicine as
a remedy for asthma, constipation, cough, fever and various other ailments. The seed of chickweed
is a source of food for birds.
Description
Common chickweed develops prostrate, tender, freely branching stems that root at nodes; opposite,
smooth, oval or elliptic leaves, lower leaves with long petioles, upper leaves sessile; shallow,
fibrous and very frail roots; flowers are solitary or in small clusters at ends of stems, flower
stalks fragile, petals white and seeds are produced in oval, 5-segmented capsule, seeds are circular,
flattened and reddish-brown in color. Plants form a thick mat of succulent or tender vegetation in
the early spring that is not eradicated by close mowing.
Stems: Stems are slender, branched, and have a row of fine hairs on one side. The
stems creep along the ground and can root at the nodes.
Flowers: Small white flowers are borne in clusters at the end of the stems. Flowers
have five deeply notched petals and, though small, are quite noticeable.
Seed: Numerous rough, dark brown seeds germinate from late fall through early spring.
Control
Common chickweed is effectively controlled by timely applications of preemerge herbicides such as
simazine, dithiopyr, dacthal, oryzalin, pendimethalin and isoxaben. Preemerge applications should
be made in early fall prior to the emergence of chickweed.
Postemerge control of chickweed in early spring can be achieved with products containing dicamba,
dichlorprop and triclopyr. The latter product is only labelled for use on cool season turfgrasses
such as tall fescue, bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.
See also: Edible weeds
Mouseear chickweed
(Cerastium vulgatum)
Growth habit: This perennial weed acts as a winter annual in Oklahoma and has a
vigorous prostrate growth habit. It reproduces by seed and creeping, hairy stems that hug the ground.
Mowing only stimulates a more vigorous habit of prostrate growth.
Leaves: Sticky, hairy leaves are opposite, oblong, dark green, and rounded on the
ends.
Stems: Hairy stems may creep along the ground and take root at nodes that touch
the soil.
Flowers: Small, white inconspicuous flowers have five slightly notched petals.
Seed: Small orange or brownish seed are somewhat transparent. They have rough seed
coats.
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