A widespread and common garden weed, the Stellaria contains high levels of vitamin E, excellent for the skin when used in poultices and skin balms.
It has a few lookalikes but a few distinguishing factors are:
- Chickweed does not have milky sap. Try pulling the stem apart. If there’s no milky sap, you’re more likely to have chickweed.
- It has a line of “hair” along the stem, which alternates between the joints.
- The inner stem of chickweed is elastic, so if you gently pull the stem apart, the outer sheath will separate while the inner part will stretch.
Chickweed is not only a super plant in terms of its nutritional acclaim, but it’s also delicious.
The flavour is often compared with corn silk. It’s pleasant and mild.
Chickweed is excellent raw — use it like sprouts; eat it in sandwiches, wraps, etc. And of course, it’s a great base for a salad.
It’s also great cooked and makes a good substitute for spinach. ???