Chickweed

About chickweed

Chickweed was once a popular folk remedy for a number of ailments. Today, this European native has become a common lawn weed that challenges homeowners across much of North America.

Identification and growth habits

Chickweed displays small, pointy, egg-shaped leaves and a line of tiny hairs running along the length of the stems. Miniature, white, five-petaled flowers bloom throughout the growing season. Although chickweed may be erect, it is most often sprawling, creating a thick mat of weeds. Although chickweed spreads from tiny roots that emerge from nodes on the stem, the primary means of reproduction is by seed. One plant can easily produce 600 to 1,500 seeds, which germinate in a very short time.

Habitat

Chickweed grows in all soil types, but it prefers cool weather and moist soil.