Stellaria pubera , or Star Chickweed, is a perennial herbaceous wildflower in the carnation family about 6 to 12 inches tall and sparingly branched. Of all the Chickweeds, Star Chickweed is probably the most attractive due to its star-shaped white flowers. It is in leaf all year, in flower all year, and the seeds ripen all year. The plant produces both fertile and infertile shoots. Infertile shoots develop later in the year and don't produce flowers. The central stem of each fertile shoot produces a terminal cyme of flowers; occasional individual flowers may develop from the axils of the upper leaves. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about a month. The root system consists of a taproot with slender fibrous roots. Small colonies of plants are occasionally formed. Star Chickweed prefers dappled sunlight to light shade during the spring, followed by light to medium shade. The soil should be well-drained but consistently moist, with an abundance of organic matter and a layer of decaying leaves. It should also be somewhat acidic. The plant is easy to grow and can be very lush and vigorous when grown in a fertile soil, but in infertile soils it will flower and set seed while still very small. A very common garden weed, the flowers open in the morning and remain open for about 12 hours. They do not open in dull weather. The leaves fold up of a night time, enfolding and protecting the tender buds of new shoots. Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked or added to salads. The cooked leaves can scarcely be distinguished from spring spinach. The leaves contain saponins so some caution is advised. The seed can be ground into a powder and used in making bread or to thicken soups. Young shoots and tender tips of shoots can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for tea. Chickweed has a long history of herbal use, being particularly beneficial in the external treatment of any kind of itching skin condition. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or other problems. The leaves contain saponins, which, although toxic, are very poorly absorbed by the body and tend to pass through without causing harm. They are also broken down by thorough cooking.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 8 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 3 inch long and 1.25 inches broad elliptical, unstalked leaves, pointed at each end. The opposite leaves are ovate, lanceolate, oblanceolate, elliptic, or broadly oblong. The upper surface of these leaves is medium to dark green and finely pubescent (sometimes sparsely). The leaf bases are sessile or nearly sessile, while their tips are either acute or blunt; lower leaves are more likely to have short petioles and blunt tips than upper leaves.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Half inch flowers with five petals, each divided into two linear segments. Each flower consists of 5 green sepals, 5 white petals (looking like 10 petals, because each petal is deeply bifurcated), a white ovary with 3 styles at its apex, and 10 stamens with reddish brown anthers. The petals are about the same length or a little longer than the sepals. Each sepal is lanceolate to ovate and pubescent. The pedicel of each flower is up to 1" long and pubescent. Flowers bloom from April to June.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Each flower is replaced by an ovoid capsule that is open at its apex; it has 6 curved teeth around its upper rim. Each capsule contains many small seeds that are globoid, somewhat flattened, and minutely warty. Each seed is often slightly notched on one side. Fruit displays from May to July.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Weak stems with two fine hairy lines. The central stem is light green to pale purplish green and glabrous to moderately pubescent.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern Central & Eastern U.S.A
Distribution
throughout
Wildlife value
Attracts bees and other polinators.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Seeds
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Leaves and seeds can be eaten raw. Leaves can be cooked.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Pollinated by bees and noted for attracting wildlife. A food plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly species.