Stellaria media
Common chickweed
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Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Stellaria media (Common chickweed) is a non-native California herb in the Caryophyllaceae family, recognized by annual habit, line of hairs on stem internodes, petals shorter than sepals.
Common chickweed is a naturalized annual herb found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California coast, Channel Islands, and desert regions in oak woodlands, meadows, and disturbed areas at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to September, this plant produces small white flowers with delicate petals about two-thirds the length of its sepals. Growing with prostrate to erect stems 7 to 50 centimeters tall, it spreads across the ground with a slender taproot and distinctive line of hairs between stem internodes. Its leaves are approximately evenly spaced, ovate-shaped, 8 to 45 millimeters long, with margins that are flat, shiny, and often fringed with fine hairs near the base. The seed is dark red-brown to brown, small and rounded, measuring 0.9 to 1.3 millimeters in size.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; key features are annual habit, line of hairs on stem internodes, petals shorter than sepals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Oak woodland, meadows, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Calaveras, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno, Merced, San Francisco, El Dorado, Mendocino, Butte, Santa Barbara, Lake, Alameda, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Inyo, Monterey, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tulare, Ventura, Marin, Placer, Amador, Sacramento, Colusa, Yuba, Kings, Sutter, Yolo, Nevada, Mariposa, Napa, Del Norte, Glenn, Madera, San Benito, Stanislaus, Plumas, Tuolumne, Tehama, Shasta, Sierra, Imperial, Trinity, Modoc
Outside California: North America, native to southwestern Europe
Bloom period
Stellaria media blooms Feb-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Cerastium: Stellaria has smooth to lightly hairy leaves; Cerastium is densely hairy and grayish-fuzzy throughout.; vs Parietaria: Stellaria has white flowers with visible petals; Parietaria has tiny greenish flowers hidden in leaf clusters.; vs Euphorbia: Stellaria has separate white flowers; Euphorbia has cup-like cyathia with milky sap when stems break.; vs Claytonia: Stellaria has deeply split petals creating star shape; Claytonia has unlobed rounded petals.; vs Polycarpon: Stellaria has stalkless pointed leaves; Polycarpon has spoon-shaped leaves with obvious stalks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stellaria media native to California?
No. Stellaria media is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Stellaria media bloom?
Stellaria media blooms Feb-Sep.
Where in California does Stellaria media grow?
Stellaria media occurs in Calaveras, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Fresno and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Stellaria media belong to?
Stellaria media is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Stellaria.
What habitat does Stellaria media grow in?
Stellaria media grows in Oak woodland, meadows, disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.