Chickweeds

Chickweed is a native plant that is widely distributed over a wide range of locations and soil types. The plants produce large numbers of seeds that germinate rapidly allowing the plant to spread at a remarkable rate, especially if the soil is chalky and dry. Flowers produced throughout the year are a valuable source of nectar for bees, and the seeds provide a food source for small birds, especially chaffinches.

Mouse-ear chickweed is common in lawns, but also found in a wide variety of habitats. It is a low-growing plant that forms a dense carpet and can withstand regular mowing. It has a fibrous root system, and new plants grow from nodes in the root stems and from seeds. The seeds can last for up to 40 years, and a single plant may produce as many as 6,500 seeds in its lifetime. 

Mouse-ear chickweed has medicinal applications, and is particularly helpful with certain skin conditions. 

Mouse-ear chickweed is shallow rooting, so may be easily removed from the soil by hand. Good lawn maintenance with regular feeding, aeration and scarification will produce healthy dense grass which makes it more difficult for mouse-ear chickweed to become established.