Stellaria holostea

Stellaria holostea, commonly known as the Greater Stitchwort, is a perennial with white star-shaped flowers. It prefers rich and moist soils in part shade. It blooms in spring and has narrow, grass-like foliage. It is nectar-rich and its young shoots, flowers, and leaves are edible.

Stellaria holostea belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. The Stellaria genus comprises about 120 species of annuals and perennials. Greater Stitchwort is often found in Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor in forests, edges, and on slopes, on neutral or acidic, moist, nutrient-rich soils, in partial shade. Its vegetation reaches a height of 25 cm (10in) and a spread of 60 cm (24in). From an underground rhizomatous stump, it develops stems adorned with opposite, sessile, long, and thin leaves, and slender quadrangular stems with white flowers, 2-3 cm (1in) in bloom at the end. The regular flowers consist of 5 two-lobed petals, 10 stamens and a pistil with 3 visible white stigmas in the centre. The plant readily self-seeds and can reproduce vegetatively through its rhizomes. The fruits are capsules that contain only one seed. It can self-seed invasively.

Stellaria holostea is not difficult to grow under good conditions, in wet to moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Plant it in natural or wild settings with small Astilbes, Geranium nodosum, Tradescantias, Persicaires.

Its young shoots, flowers, and leaves can be eaten raw in salads, but only in small quantities as it is slightly laxative.