ID Guide: Chickweed
Common names: Common chickweed, craches, winterweed, starweed, chickenwort
Latin: Stellaria media
Appearance: Small white flowers that are often compared to looking like stars. They are surrounded by five green oval-shaped leaves.
Where: Parks and gardens, especially under trees surrounded by grass, cracks in the pavement and in wastelands.
How to forage: Cut a few young fresh tops. The lower stems are more stringy.
When: All year round except when covered with snow or frost
How to use: Great in a salad due to its mild but grassy flavour that balances stronger flavours.
Commonly mistaken with…
Scarlet pimpernel which is poisonous if ingested. The stem of scarlet pimpernel is hairless while that of chickweed bears a single row of hairs alternating sides at each internode. The flowers of scarlet pimpernel are salmon coloured, while chickweed has white flowers.