Stellaria longifolia

Common Names

Longleaf Starwort, Long-Leaved Starwort, Stellaire À Longues Feuilles, Langblättrige Sternmiere, Longleaf Stitchwort, Long-Leaved Stitchwort

Summary

Longleaf starwort is a perennial, rhizomatous herb native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere with circumboreal distribution across North America and Europe. It forms loose clumps from elongate rhizomes; stems are erect to decumbent and reach 10–35 cm tall; leaves are opposite and linear to narrowly elliptic; flowers are white with five petals; the capsule is ovoid-conic, 3–6 mm long, and seeds are brown, 0.7–0.8 mm.

Prefers moist, fine-textured soils and can tolerate shade, occurring in wetlands, marshes, streamsides, and grassy roadsides from sea level to 2800 m. It propagates by seed and bare root, with seed production roughly 1,300,000 seeds per pound; flowering occurs in late spring to early summer. It tolerates cool climates, with about 90 frost-free days and temperatures down to -38°F.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

4-14 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade.

Soil Type

Moist to wet, circumneutral to calcareous soils

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet soils

Soil pH

4.0-7.5

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green to yellowish green

Fall Foliage Color

Dark Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Moderate to slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Rhizomes

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators