Cerastium arvense
field chickweed
North America, Europe, and Asia (circumboreal)
Overview
Cerastium arvense is a low, mat-forming perennial in the pink family, growing 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall and spreading by trailing, rooting stems to 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) wide. The narrow, gray-green leaves are 0.4-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) long, paired, and softly hairy. From late spring into summer it carries loose clusters of white flowers 0.5-0.75 inch (12-20 mm) across, each with five petals notched at the tip to about a third of their length, giving a ten-petalled look. The flowers are noticeably larger than those of the common annual chickweeds. It spreads by seed and by creeping stems to form open patches in dry grassland, rocky slopes, and roadsides. Cerastium arvense is widespread across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere and varies across its range. It tolerates poor, dry, gritty soils but can spread beyond where it is wanted in rock gardens. The foliage dies back in hard winters and regrows from the base in spring.
Native Range
Cerastium arvense has a wide circumboreal range across North America, Europe, and Asia, growing in temperate and subarctic regions. It is found in dry meadows, prairies, rocky outcrops, gravelly slopes, and roadsides, usually in open, well-drained sites.Suggested Uses
Used in rock gardens, dry banks, gravel gardens, and wall crevices as a low, spreading groundcover. It suits sunny, lean sites where many plants struggle, and binds loose soil on slopes. Its spreading habit makes it more suited to informal plantings than tight, mixed beds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'
Width/Spread1' - 1'6"
Bloom Information
Flowering runs from late spring into early summer, roughly May to July, with a peak of white bloom in late spring. Bees and small flies visit the open flowers for nectar and pollen. Scattered flowers may appear later in the season in cool, moist conditions.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
gray-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Cerastium arvense grows in full sun in lean, gritty, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5 and tolerates drought once established. It needs little water or feeding and can rot in rich, wet ground. It is hardy through USDA zones 3-8 and regrows each spring from the base. In rock gardens its creeping stems are trimmed back to keep it in bounds, since it can crowd smaller plants. Shearing after bloom keeps the mat dense and tidy. It has few pest or disease problems.Pruning
Shearing lightly after flowering removes spent blooms and keeps the mat compact. Creeping stems are cut back where they spread too far. No other pruning is needed.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons