Sharon,
What timing on this article. Folks from the mid atlantic region recently got together for a plant swap at Ric and Holly's place. On the pre-swap threads, one of our beloved gardeners requested chickweed in her WANTS posts. Well, needless to say, a lot of good natured joking went back and forth about her request. How is it that her garden has escaped chickweed? One poster exclaimed that he knew our on-line community was international, but not interplanetary LOL!!! Well, there was no problem fulfilling that chickweed request. Seems she had read about the chickweed pesto and wanted to try it out. Now that you've confirmed it, I'm not so skeptical HA HA HA... Terri

Hi Terri,
Next to dandelions, chickweed is probably one of the most vital of all the weeds that most folks laugh at. Hard to say how your friend missed having it, maybe it got eradicated along with a lot of other things over the years. Most people don't know its value.

Nope, if I grew up on it, you can bet it's pretty safe! No need to be skeptical about chickweed.
Just enjoy it; it's a good thing.

This is one I have not tried. Looks like the leaves are shiny, not hairy? How tall does the plant get? What time of year does it usually appear?

You mean, that obnoxious stuff that is trying to take over ALL my planters is good to eat!? Nasty, invasive impossible to get rid of? I can take revenge on it by eating it? Hee hee hee hee hee hee........

Go for it woofie.

I look for it in late winter, early spring here. And there's the problem locally...afterward, it blooms and goes to seed, then it's gone when the heat gets here. Best time to harvest is before it blooms or when the early blooms are here, I think.

We just had a much needed thunderstorm here, more noise than rain, though. I thought it best to exit the computer for awhile.

Linda's right, here it's best to gather it in early to late spring for eating, once it blooms seeds start setting, it isn't as good and gets a little tough. Tastes a lot like spinach when cooked.

It's low growing, Lynn, though its stems can be long. It acts more as a ground cover than upright, but it does form a sort of thick mat. Chickens love it!

Woofie, I'm not sure what you have. You better be very sure before you start eating it!!

We're getting your rain this morning Sharon - I'm so thankful

We have tons of chickweed in the springtime!

Thank you for this newsy article - I love learning my weeds are a good thing

You are a treasure Sharon, I love these articles about wild herbs that you are doing, keep up the good work.

You get rain, Vic, and I mostly get thunder. Why does that always happen?

Josephine, thank you. When I was growing up these wild herbs were part of most every meal I ate, a big part of my life. I just think they have a good reason to be here. It's up to us to keep a few of them around so they can continue to do what they were meant to do.

I like to call them my 'heirloom' herbs.

Morning, Lynn!!

Our chickweed comes out in the very early spring. We eat it in salads, and I also put it in the stockpot when I'm making chicken broth.

We don't care for the stems, so we pull the leaves off. Tip with that- it is soooo much easier to pull the leaves off *before* you wash them! They stick when they are wet.

We also feed extras to the chickens, who love it. I purposely let it go to seed, and shake it all around certain patches for the next year's crop, then throw those greens to the chickens.
The younger ones (before the seed) are yummier.

It doesn't dry or freeze very well, but I usually manage to freeze a little of the tender leaves because I like it in soups during winter. I love it in tomato soup.

Can't get rid of them, so I may as well try eating them!!

Thank you Sharon for another very informative article.

Trish, thanks for the added tips!

Great attitude, Margaret!
May as well eat them. (Which is why they were put here in the first place. )

Sure wish I could identify them out in my yard.
I would love to eat them.

There are a lot of plants commonly called 'chickweed' but the one I'm talking about is Stellaria media, common chickweed. If you search in our database you'll find lots of images that will help you identify it.

It might be too early in your climate for blooms, but the blooms will give you a better idea. They are tiny. I notice one image in the DB (Horntoad) that shows the bloom in relation to a hand. Tiny little white blooms. The leaves are tiny too, but if you look at the images I think you should be able to tell if it's growing in your garden, Lynn.

Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Okay, now I will be on the hunt. Don't remember seeing them before.

Ours went to seed early this year, with the early spring we had, so it's long gone now. I had to pull it 'cause the kitties were hiding in it to ambush the birds!
Guess I'll have to wait 'till next year to try it. Thanks for the info, Sharon!