Image 1 of 10
© Полина Яковлевна Нехаева (Лихачева), some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC) · iNaturalist
1 / 10
Stellaria graminea
lesser stitchwort
Overview
Stellaria graminea is a low, sprawling perennial in the pink family, forming loose mats of weak, four-angled stems 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) long that scramble over neighboring plants. The leaves are narrow, grass-like, and stalkless, 0.5-1.5 inches (1.5-4 cm) long, arranged in opposite pairs. From late spring into summer the plant bears small white flowers about 0.4 inch (1 cm) across, each with five petals so deeply split that they appear as ten. The flowers are held in open, branching clusters on slender stalks. S. graminea is native to Europe and western Asia and has naturalized widely across North America, where it grows in lawns, meadows, roadsides, and disturbed grassland. It spreads by seed and by rooting at the stem nodes, forming patches that can crowd low turf and meadow plants. The stems are brittle and break easily. It tolerates poor soils and cool, moist conditions, and behaves as a weed in many settings. Growth resumes early in spring, and plants can flower within the first year from seed. The shallow root system pulls up readily from loose ground.
Native Range
Stellaria graminea is native to Europe and western Asia. It has naturalized across much of North America, from Canada south through the northern and eastern United States, growing in lawns, meadows, roadsides, and other open, disturbed ground.Suggested Uses
S. graminea is rarely planted on purpose and is most often managed as a weed of turf and grassland. It occasionally appears in wild or meadow plantings as a low, mat-forming groundcover. Small insects take nectar from the open flowers in spring and summer.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread1' - 2'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 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