# star chickweed (*Stellaria pubera*) Star chickweed is a lovely little plant with star-shaped white flowers. It grows close to the ground and can often be found in gardens and forests, making it a cheerful sight in springtime. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Forests ![star chickweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Stellaria_pubera_WV.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stellaria_pubera_WV.jpg) ## Appearance The star chickweed has delicate bright green leaves and stems covered in fine hairs. Its small, white, star-shaped flowers appear in clusters, each with ten deeply divided petals, making them look like five petals. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Caryophyllales - **Family:** Caryophyllaceae - **Genus:** Stellaria ## Interesting facts - Ancient people used chickweed in soups and salads as a healthy green! - Did you know its leaves can stay green even under snow? - Its tiny seeds can stay alive in the soil for many, many years, waiting to grow! - Look closely: each flower has five petals, but they're so deeply split they look like ten! ## Special abilities - **Spreading Power:** Star chickweed can quickly form dense mats, helping it cover ground and outcompete other plants for sunlight. - **Early Bloomer:** Star chickweed has flowers that open very early in spring, giving it a head start to attract the first active pollinators. - **Seed Slingers:** Star chickweed can burst its seed pods, flinging tiny seeds away to spread its family far and wide! - **Edible Greens:** Star chickweed has tender leaves that are a tasty snack for many animals, making it a valuable food source. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen from its blooms. - **Pollinates:** Hoverfly (*Syrphus ribesii*) — visits flowers, helping them make seeds. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on its tender leaves and stems. - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — relishes its soft leaves and stems. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [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. - [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. - [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 at plants from a distance and ask an adult before touching or picking them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify star 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 star chickweed? 10-30 cm ### How wide does star chickweed spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on star chickweed? 0.5-1 cm ### When does star chickweed bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is star chickweed edible? Yes ### Is star chickweed toxic? None ### What is star chickweed's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [New River Gorge National Park and Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-river-gorge-national-park-and-preserve) — West Virginia, US · National Park - [Pennyrile State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pennyrile-state-forest) — Kentucky, US · Forest - [Shepherdstown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shepherdstown-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District - [Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mesker-park-zoo-and-botanic-garden) — Indiana, US · Zoo - [Andrews Geyser](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/andrews-geyser) — North Carolina, US · Nature Reserve - [Bat Cave and Cascade Caverns State Nature Preserves](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bat-cave-and-cascade-caverns-state-nature-preserves) — Kentucky, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see star chickweed](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/star-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: [Star Chickweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/star-chickweed)