# field chickweed (*Cerastium arvense*) Field chickweed is a small, green plant with tiny white flowers. It often grows in fields and gardens, making it easy to spot during spring and summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![field chickweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cerastium_arvense_5618.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cerastium_arvense_5618.JPG) ## Appearance The field chickweed has delicate white flowers, each with five petals so deeply notched they appear as ten. Its slender, often hairy stems are covered with small, narrow, green leaves, forming low, spreading mats close to the ground. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Caryophyllaceae - **Genus:** Cerastium ## Interesting facts - Did you know its five petals are each split almost in half, making them look like ten? Wow! - Its tiny, sticky hairs on stems help catch water droplets and protect from thirsty insects! - This clever plant can produce seeds for many months, ensuring new plants grow for ages! - Young field chickweed leaves are sometimes added to salads, a tiny wild treat! ## Special abilities - **Ground Hugger:** Field chickweed can grow low and spread wide, forming dense mats that help it survive strong winds and foot traffic. - **Petal Power:** Its flowers have deeply split petals that look like ten, making them extra visible to buzzing insect pollinators. - **Tough Survivor:** Field chickweed can thrive in poor, disturbed soils, making it one of nature's super hardy pioneer plants. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-40 cm - **Spread:** 15-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Western Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [European Rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Young leaves are a common food source. - **Eaten by:** [European Goldfinch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-goldfinch) (*Carduelis carduelis*) — Feeds on its small seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or picking plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify field chickweed? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is field chickweed? 10-40 cm ### How wide does field chickweed spread? 15-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on field chickweed? 1-2 cm ### When does field chickweed bloom? Spring to Summer ### Is field chickweed edible? Yes ### Is field chickweed toxic? None ### What is field chickweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Sherburne Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sherburne-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Crowsnest Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crowsnest-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [South Texada Island Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/south-texada-island-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Anderson Bay Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-bay-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Sooke Mountain Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sooke-mountain-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see field chickweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/field-chickweed) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Field Chickweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-chickweed)