Amy's Relation to Creation & Botanicals, LLC

You have likely stepped on it, mowed it down, maybe even rolled in it as a child (or adult, no judgement here!) all without realizing the highly purposeful plant that it is even with its seemingly frail stem. Chickweed Stellaria media has many diverse uses that we will be exploring here. My hope is that before you routinely mow down or step on this amazing plant, you may just look at it in a different light and even save a little for future use.

                Chickweed has been used in traditional medicine and cuisine for thousands of years. The Greek physician/pharmacologist/botanist/author Dioscorides wrote c. AD 90 that chickweed “may be applied with cornmeal for inflammation of the eyes. The juice may also be introduced into the ear in earache.” It was also used by 17^th century herbalist, John Gerard, to treat mange.

                Belonging to the Caryophyllaceae family, Chickweed is native to Europe and Asia but is now naturalized to North America and most of the world. It is very hardy and can be found popping up in waste places with full sun to part shade. Chickweed prefers cool, damp locations with moist fertile soil but it is not a necessity. The plant intertwines and covers large areas and can reach heights of about 20 inches. Small, star-like shaped white flowers with 5 split petals, 5 green sepals (which are longer than the petals) and stamens that have reddish-violet anthers, appear at the tips of the stems from March to September. Leaves are opposite and oval with smooth and slightly feathered edges. Chickweed stems are weak and willowy with a single line of hair which changes sides at each leaf junction. Inside the stems, there is an elastic core which gives a distinct snap when it breaks. The Chickweed root is a slender taproot. Fruits develop in the autumn and have about 2,500 reddish-brown seeds that can be viable for up to 40 years!

                The aerial parts of the plant have many uses from culinary and medicinal to hygiene, household cleaning, and animal feed. To me, the taste is very similar to spinach though some say it closely resembles alfalfa sprouts. Chickweed can be used in the kitchen for salads, pesto, dips, condiments, pastas, soups and casseroles. It can also be used to make eye and wound washes, teas, poultices, infused oils, salves, balms, creams, extracts and tinctures, shampoos, soaps, household cleaners and animal feed (especially loved by chickens!).

                Chickweed should be harvested in the morning or late evening, avoiding the heat of the day, by snipping off the upper branches of the plants. The harvest can be used fresh, dried, or frozen for future use. If drying, store in an airtight container in a cool space out of the sun.

                After reviewing much literature, I found that Chickweed contains the following constituents:

                What does all the above translate as? Simply put, a world of goodness for our bodies! All those constituents take action inside of us making the properties of Chickweed extremely useful when facing a number of ailments. Because of those constituents, the properties of cooling Chickweed include:

• Antitussive
• Expectorant
• Demulcent
• Antipyretic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antiviral
• Antibacterial (gram positive and gram negative)
• Antifungal
• Antileishmanial
• Anxiolytic
• Antioxidant
• Anti-cancer (CAUTION with breast cancer)
• Antiproliferative
• Astringent
• Detoxifier
• Blood purifier
• Counterirritant
• Analgesic
• Antidiabetic
• Anti-obesity

                These properties will help support your body when you are dealing with:

                Promising research is also being done on the effectiveness of Chickweed against leukemia and colon cancer.

                I know so many people think that because something is found in nature, you can use as much of it as you please. I would like to state that this is not a good way to utilize nature as many things can indeed cause harm when over indulged. Such is the case for Chickweed as reports have been made of nitrate toxicity and paralysis when very large amounts have been used. Chickweed may also cause contact dermatitis in some, if this is you, I would not eat it due to a potential allergic reaction. Also, be aware that Chickweed contains good amounts of potassium and phosphorus, so if you are taking these as individual supplements, your primary care provider may need to adjust your dose and increased frequency of testing may be necessary.

                I can imagine after learning all the wonderful benefits of Chickweed, you are excited to forage some for personal use. As I am writing this, we are in the midst of a snowstorm so we may need to wait a few weeks! Once you spot a patch of Chickweed and correctly identify it, harvest, and then take it into the kitchen and have fun with it! It is so good as part of a salad! Feel like you can wait to try using Chickweed, come to Amy’s Relation to Creation & Botanicals, LLC in Marine City, MI where you can purchase it!

                To make a decoction or strong tea, use fresh Chickweed, if possible, otherwise, dried or frozen will suffice. Use 1 cup of leaves and 1 pint of water. Bring the water to a boil in a pot then add the leaves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool so you do not burn yourself. Strain out plant material. Drink 1-2 ounces of the brew 2-3 times a day or use as a wash for small wounds, rashes, or insect bites. Store in the refrigerator and discard after 2-3 days.  The ratio for a general tea is ½-1 tsp per 1 cup of boiling water.

                To make a poultice, blend fresh Chickweed (or dried with a small amount of water added) into a smooth paste and apply directly to your target area and slightly beyond. Cover the paste with a bandage or cloth. Replace every 6 hours as needed. Equal parts of ginger root and raw honey may also be added for additional benefits in wound healing.

As always, if using Chickweed as a supplement to your health, you should consult with your primary care provider because nothing in this article has been approved by the FDA. The above information is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any diseases, it is for informational purposes only.

References:

Linda Skidmore-Roth. Mosby’s Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements 4^th edition. Mosby Elsevier. 2010.

Andrew Chevalier. Herbal Remedies Handbook. DK Penguin Random House. 2021.

Nicole Apelian and Claude Davis. The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies: The Healing Power of Plant Medicine. Global Brother SRL. 2019.

Steven Foster and James A. Duke. A field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America 2^nd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2000.

Sean Webb editor. Nursing Herbal Medicine Handbook 3^rd edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2006.

Andrew Chevalier. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine 4^th edition. DK Penguin Random House. 2023.

Roger Peterson and Margaret McKenny. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1968.

Aleem, Abdul et al. “Phytochemical analysis and gastroprotective effect of Stellaria media (L.) Vill. methanolic extract on piroxicam-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats.” Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences vol. 36,5 (2023): 1425-1434.

Ma L, Song J, Shi Y, Wang C, Chen B, Xie D, Jia X. Anti-hepatitis B virus activity of chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Vill.] extracts in HepG2.2.15 cells. Molecules. 2012 Jul 18;17(7):8633-46. doi: 10.3390/molecules17078633. PMID: 22810196; PMCID: PMC6268626.

Slavokhotova, Anna A et al. “Isolation, molecular cloning and antimicrobial activity of novel defensins from common chickweed (Stellaria media L.) seeds.” Biochimie vol. 93,3 (2011): 450-6. doi:10.1016/j.biochi.2010.10.019

Oladeji, Oluwole Solomon, and Abel Kolawole Oyebamiji. “Stellaria media (L.) Vill.- A plant with immense therapeutic potentials: phytochemistry and pharmacology.” Heliyon vol. 6,6 e04150. 7 Jun. 2020, doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04150

Demján, Virág et al. “Stellaria media tea protects against diabetes-induced cardiac dysfunction in rats without affecting glucose tolerance.” Journal of traditional and complementary medicine vol. 12,3 250-259. 10 Aug. 2021, doi:10.1016/j.jtcme.2021.08.003

Shan, Yu et al. “Purification and characterization of a novel anti-HSV-2 protein with antiproliferative and peroxidase activities from Stellaria media.” Acta biochimica et biophysica Sinica vol. 45,8 (2013): 649-55. doi:10.1093/abbs/gmt060

Chidrawar, Vijay R et al. “Antiobesity effect of Stellaria media against drug induced obesity in Swiss albino mice.” Ayu vol. 32,4 (2011): 576-84. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.96137

Chickweed Stellaria media plant overview Monterey Bay Herb Co. Accessed 3/20/2024.