Cerastium holosteoides
Common Mouse-Ear Chickweed
an annual or perennial member of the Cerastium genus in the family Caryophyllaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Cerastium
- Life cycle
- annual, perennial
- Fertility
- Self fertile, Flies, Self
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Flies, Self
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves and young shoots[2]. This report refers to the sub-species C. holosteoides glandulosum. Koch.[2].
- Plant part
- Leaves
Environment
- Range
- A cosmopolitan plant, found n most regions of the world, including Britain.
- Habitat
- Mostly in wet places. Grassland, shingle, dunes, waysides, waste places and cultivated ground.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring might be possible.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
See the plants native habitat for ideas on its cultivation needs. This species is closely related to C. fontanum, the common mouse-ear, and is seen as no more than a sub-species of that species by many botanists.
References
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00