Cerastium arvense

Common Names

Field Mouse-Ear Chickweed, Field Chickweed, Field Mouse-Ear, Meadow Chickweed, Prairie Mouse-Ear Chickweed, Starry Grasswort

Summary

Field mouse-ear chickweed is a perennial herb of the Caryophyllaceae native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, forming low mats or clumps with flowering stems 5–20(–30) cm tall and sessile, linear to lanceolate leaves; it bears numerous white flowers in lax cymes, with five obovate petals about 7.5–12.5 mm long that are two-lobed, creating a starry white bloom in spring to early summer, on dry, rocky, gravelly or sandy sites often with calcareous or magnesian soils.

In cultivation it prefers full sun and dry, well-drained soils, tolerating a range of soils with low fertilizer needs and drought tolerance; propagation is by seed or division, and flowering occurs in spring to early summer. It can be used as ground cover or a naturalized planting, and self-seeds readily, enabling spread in suitable sites; hardiness zones 3–8.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 inches

Spread

4-16 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun.

Soil Type

Dry, well-drained sandy soil

Soil Drainage

Dry, well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.5-6.5

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

creeping

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds and Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and other pollinators