 As land in Ohio wakes up to spring 2008, we see things that wake us up to the fact that some undesirable plants have established themselves in our landscapes. Our weekly weed is focused on Stellaria media, COMMON CHICKWEED. Stellaria media is a member of the Caryophyllaceae (Pink) family and can be found throughout Ohio and beyond. This ambitious winter annual reproduces by seed that germinates in late summer or early spring. In cool, moist areas it can appear as though it is a perennial, but generally dies out in midsummer's dry heat. Common chickweed grows along the ground in dense patches. Its trailing stems give rise to small, egg-shaped, oppositely arranged leaves. It thrives in moist, well drained, fertile soils and is a profuse bloomer. The plants will tolerate frequent mowing, but have a shallow, fibrous root system making them easy to hand-pull. This weed can be misidentified as the perennial MOUSEEAR CHICKWEED, Cerastium vulgatum, which has a similar growth habit; however, a closer look will reveal that the foliage and stems of mouseear chickweed are covered with hairs … thus the name mouseear.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 April 2008 17:53 )
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BYGL 
