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Stellaria flaccida

forest starwort

Caryophyllaceae Eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Container Friendly

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterHigh

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Stellaria flaccida is a sprawling perennial herb in the family Caryophyllaceae, with weak, brittle, four-angled stems 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) long that scramble over other vegetation or trail along the ground. The leaves are opposite, lance-shaped to narrowly ovate, 0.4-1.6 inches (1-4 cm) long, thin-textured and mid-green. White star-shaped flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across have five deeply notched petals that appear as ten, opening singly on slender stalks in spring and summer. The flowers are followed by small capsules that split to release several seeds. Growth is rapid in moist, shaded conditions, with stems rooting at the nodes where they touch soil. The species grows in moist forest, gullies, and along shaded creek banks, and wilts quickly in sun or dry soil. The weak stems collapse without surrounding support, forming a loose, untidy mat.

Native Range

Native to eastern Australia, from Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria. Grows in the moist understorey of wet and dry sclerophyll forest, rainforest margins, and shaded gullies, on damp, humus-rich soils.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a groundcover and filler in shaded, moist native gardens, fern gardens, and the understorey of larger plantings, spaced 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. Suited to shaded creek banks and damp gullies. The trailing stems suit shaded containers and hanging plantings kept moist.

How to Identify

Identified by weak, brittle, four-angled scrambling stems and opposite lance-shaped leaves 0.4-1.6 inches (1-4 cm) long. White star-shaped flowers 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) across have five deeply notched petals that look like ten. The notched petals and scrambling habit separate it from chickweeds with smaller flowers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~16 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers mainly in spring and summer (September to February in its native range), with white flowers opening a few at a time over an extended period. Flowering continues longer in consistently moist, shaded sites. Hot, dry conditions cut the flowering short.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Mid-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Tolerates up to 4 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

The species needs consistently moist, shaded soil and wilts quickly in sun or dry ground. Plants grow in part to full shade in humus-rich soils and spread by stems rooting at the nodes. Growth is rapid in warm, moist conditions, and stems can be cut back at any time to control spread. No serious pests or diseases affect the species, though slugs and snails feed on soft growth. Plants are short-lived but self-seed and layer readily. The weak stems collapse without surrounding plants or support.

Pruning

Straggly or collapsed stems can be cut back at any time of year to control spread and tidy the clump. The species regrows quickly from the base and from rooted nodes. No structural pruning is required.

Pruning Schedule

summer