Chickweed

Stellaria media

Chickweed is a weak-growing, low-lying, cool-season plant that prefers shade and moist conditions. It sends out spreading stems that form thick carpets of greenery. The smooth, egg-shaped leaves are borne oppositely on slender, hairy stems with one line of tiny hairs running down the center. Chickweed’s small white flowers appear year-round in cool weather, and have five deeply cleft petals that give the appearance of ten petals – a star doubled in the center.

Edible Use and Nutrition. Chickweed is mild-tasting, rich in nutrition, and has long been used as food and medicine [1][2]. The young shoots and leaves may be eaten raw in salads, or lightly cooked like spinach. They are a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll, and are one of the most nutritious wild foods in the springtime. Traditionally used as an emollient herb, chickweed has cooling and soothing actions [3]. It can be used as a poultice on the skin to help with irritation, inflammation, burns, eczema, and rashes. The fresh plant can be crushed and applied directly, or macerated into oils and salves for preservation. Taken as a tea, chickweed has been used to support detoxification and ease internal heat.

Chickweed is a gentle, common, easy-to-find plant. One of the classic wild herbs, it is a good reminder of how often medicine is found growing at our feet – modest, nourishing, and simply effective.

[1] Singh R., Chaudhary M., Chauhan E.S. “Stellaria media Linn.: A comprehensive review highlights the nutritional, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities.” Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology 11, no. 3 (2022): 330-338. https://doi.org/10.34172/jhp.2022.38

[2] “Chickweed (Stellaria media) – Cooling Herb for Skin & Inflammation.” The Herbal Medic. https://theherbalmedic.co.uk/chickweed-stellaria-media

[3] “HERBAL MONOGRAPH – Chickweed (Stellaria media).” National Herbal Medicine Week. https://nhaa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/NHAA-Herbal-Medicine-Week-Monographs-compressed.pdf