Chickweed (Stellaria Media) grows bountifully around here in the cooler months of the year, particularly in secluded and shaded areas of our yard, but dies back in the hotter parts of the year. It can provide a feed when many other wild herbs are dormant.
Chickweed is a low growing, small delicate herb with round stems which do not exude a milky sap when cut and has lines of silky hairs growing along the stems. When harvesting this herb for eating it is important not to pick petty spurge (euphorbia peplus) by mistake. The sap of petty spurge (which is milky) is an irritant, used in herbalism to treat skin cancers. Seeing both plants side by side, they are observably different with petty spurge being more upright but if you are not sure check your identification photo below or discuss with somebody who knows.
Due to its foliage being so lush, it cooks down to almost nothing but it is good in salads, with a lightly acid tang to its flavour. I find the flavour similar to nasturtium or some Asian greens, but milder and without the bitterness common to these plants but still with a hint of pepperiness.
The plant has had all sorts of wild medicinal claims for it which can be readily observed on internet herbal sites, but it is worth bearing in mind the words of Varro E. Tyler in his book “The Honest Herbal” in which he writes “Although there is an extensive scientific literature devoted to chickweed, there is no indication in it that any of the plants’ constituents possess pronounced therapeutic value; indeed most writings concern various methods of controlling this pesky weed.”
For my money, we can get rid of some of it by eating it ourselves or feeding it to our chooks, which we do on a regular basis,
