Featured Edible: Wild Winter Greens – Chickweed
[important]From the 2008-02 Newsletter[/important]
Chickweed (Stellaria media)
Is a crunchy member of the pink family that thrives during our mild coastal winters. One tiny plant can produce 20,000 seeds, but if this weed is hard to beat, at least it’s good to eat.
HABITAT:
Look for chickweed in lawns and garden beds that have been abandoned for the winter, in the summer it likes moist shady areas.
SEASON:
Chickweed grows all year, but it it’s nearly invisible until late fall until early to mid-spring when it is still thriving while other plants lie dormant.
FOOD USES:
Add common and star chickweed raw to salads, or cook like spinach. If you find a hairy stemmed chickweed, it is likely Mouse-ear chickweed which is not very good eating.
HERBAL MEDICINE:
Chickweed was used to fight scurvy and as a topical remedy for inflammation and sores.