Star chickweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Star chickweed |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Stellaria
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| Species: |
pubera
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Star chickweed (scientific name: Stellaria pubera) is a beautiful wild flower. It blooms in the spring and is part of the carnation family. You can find it growing naturally in the eastern parts of the United States.
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Where Does Star Chickweed Grow?
Star chickweed is a common plant that grows in many places. It likes to live in forests, especially those with rich soil near rivers (called bottomland forests). It also grows well in "mesic" forests, which means they have a good amount of moisture. You can often spot it on rocky hillsides.
This plant is mostly found from Pennsylvania down to Georgia. It also grows west to Indiana and Alabama. You might also see smaller groups of them in New York, New England, Illinois, Nebraska, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
What Does Star Chickweed Look Like?
Star chickweed is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring. You might see its white blossoms as early as April!
This plant usually grows about 6 inches (15 cm) to 12 inches (30 cm) tall. Its leaves are shaped like an oval (called ovate). They grow in pairs, one across from the other, directly on the stem without a small stalk. The stem itself is a bit weak and can sometimes lean over.
If you look closely at a star chickweed flower, you'll see something interesting. It looks like it has ten petals, but it actually only has five! Each of these five petals is deeply split in half. This makes the flower look like a little white star. In the center of the star, you'll see a creamy white area with dark tips on the stamens (the parts that hold pollen).
The stem of the star chickweed has tiny, soft hairs. These hairs grow in lines that switch sides at each "node" (the point where leaves or branches grow from the stem).
There's another plant called Stellaria corei that looks very similar. It can be easy to mix them up!
Why Is It Called Star Chickweed?
The common name, star chickweed, comes from the shape of its flowers. They really do look like tiny stars!
The scientific name, Stellaria, also means "star." It comes from the Latin word stella, which means "star." The second part of its scientific name, pubera, means "hairy." This name was chosen because of the lines of small hairs you can find on the plant's stem.
Conservation Status
While star chickweed is common in many areas, it is considered an endangered plant in the state of New Jersey. This means it is rare there and needs protection to survive.
