# greater stitchwort (*Rabelera holostea*)

Greater stitchwort is a lovely little flower that blooms in spring. It has star-shaped white flowers that can brighten up fields and woods, making them look magical!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Woodlands

![greater stitchwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Grote_muur_%28Stellaria_holostea%29._Locatie_Hortus_Haren_01.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grote_muur_%28Stellaria_holostea%29._Locatie_Hortus_Haren_01.jpg)

## Appearance

The greater stitchwort has bright green, slender leaves and brittle, square stems. Its distinctive white flowers have five petals, each so deeply notched they appear as ten separate petals, giving them a star-like look.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Caryophyllaceae
- **Genus:** Rabelera

## Interesting facts

- It's called 'greater' to distinguish it from a smaller plant, the 'lesser stitchwort'!
- Its brittle stems often snap with a tiny 'pop', earning it the nickname 'Popper'!
- Its delicate flowers have five petals, but each is so deeply split it looks like ten!
- Its scientific name 'holostea' means 'all bone' in Greek, describing its fragile stems!

## Special abilities

- **Explosive Seeds:** Greater stitchwort can launch its seeds with explosive capsules, helping them spread far away from the parent plant.
- **Climbing Support:** Its square stems can lean on surrounding plants for support, allowing it to reach sunlight efficiently.
- **Early Bloom:** This plant is one of the first to flower in spring, attracting vital early pollinators to its nectar.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring_early_summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — an important early spring visitor
- **Eaten by:** [Roe deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — young shoots are often browsed by deer
- **Eaten by:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — snails occasionally feed on its leaves

## 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.
- [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.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't pick flowers, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify greater stitchwort?

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 greater stitchwort?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on greater stitchwort?

2-3 cm

### When does greater stitchwort bloom?

Spring_early_summer

### Is greater stitchwort edible?

Yes

### Is greater stitchwort toxic?

None

### What is greater stitchwort's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is greater stitchwort pollinated?

Insect

## 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*)

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Source: [Greater Stitchwort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greater-stitchwort)