Chickweed
Stellaria media
Common chickweed is a winter annual broadleaf weed that behaves similarly to henbit. It germinates in the late fall or early winter, grows slowly during the colder months, and spreads rapidly in the early spring. It prefers cool, moist, and shaded environments, often establishing itself under trees or on the north side of houses.
Chickweed forms dense, tangled mats that grow low to the ground, allowing it to easily survive mowing. Its shallow, fibrous root system makes it relatively easy to pull by hand, but it produces an enormous amount of seeds—up to 15,000 per plant—which ensures its return year after year if not properly managed with chemical controls.
How to Identify Chickweed
- 1Forms a low, dense, light-green mat over the soil.
- 2Leaves are small, smooth, oval-shaped, and come to a point at the tip.
- 3Produces tiny, star-shaped white flowers with five deeply cleft petals (making it look like ten petals).
- 4Stems have a single, distinct line of hairs running down one side.
Treatment & Control
Like henbit, the best defense against chickweed is a fall application of a pre-emergent herbicide to stop germination. For active spring growth, selective post-emergent broadleaf weed controls are highly effective. Improving soil drainage and pruning trees to increase sunlight can also make the environment less hospitable to chickweed infestations.
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