Common Chickweed
Stellaria media
(Click on image to enlarge.)
(Click on image to enlarge.)
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Common Chickweed is a member of the Pink family. It is native to Europe,
but is now found across most of North America. In the Mobile area it is a common
weed of lawns and gardens. The name Chickweed seems to refer
to the use of the plant for feeding chickens. This plant also has medicinal uses: a
web search will lead to many sites promoting its use for health, and just about as
many explaining how to eradicate it as a pest.
In photos four and six, note the narrow band of hairs on only one side of the stems. That band of hairs is a good identification characteristic for Common Chickweed: no related species has that trait. These plants were photographed in my garden in Mobile in early April. |