Cerastium vulgatum
Family:
Caryophyllaceae
Life Cycle:
Perennial
Plant status:
Weed
Habit:
Mouseear chickweed has a low growing to mounding habit. It is less prostrate than common chickweed, but certainly low growing. Flowers are usually elevated above the mounding foliage. Mouseear chickweed foliage is elliptical, with smooth margins, and very hairy. Hairs on the stems, leaves, and flower buds are the most distinguishing characteristic of this weed. Leaves are bisected by a sunken midrib, with no other obvious veins.
Flowers:
Flower buds occur at the end of relatively leafless stems. Flowers are white and have 5 deeply lobed petals. Flower petals remain tightly closed until the sun is brightly shining. They are held so tightly, they appear to form a fused tube instead of separate petals.
Favorable environments:
Field
Favorable environment notes:
Mouseear chickweed inhabits most agricultural land and other disturbed sites such as landscaped areas, vegetable crop fields, vineyards, and orchards. It thrives in wet, cool soils near marshes, moist woodlands, and managed forests areas.
Dissemination:
Mouseear chickweed reproduces from seed in late summer. Seeds are very tiny; only about 1 mm long or less, triangular to egg-shaped and reddish brown. They can also reproduce by stem nodes rooting into soil.
Management link: