Scarlet pimpernel
This harmful lookalike has unnotched, usually orange-red or blue petals; consult a local key.
Use the botanical sourceCulinary reference
Common chickweed.
Stellaria media
Also found as Chickweed
A cool-season annual forming soft green patches with tiny, deeply divided white petals.
Sources checked 9 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Avoid mixing several groundcover species. Flowerless fragments are especially easy to confuse.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 45,856
- People who recorded it
- 16,778
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Feb–May
- Records span
- 1982–2026
| January | 2571 |
|---|---|
| February | 4377 |
| March | 8278 |
| April | 10680 |
| May | 4274 |
| June | 2816 |
| July | 2203 |
| August | 1641 |
| September | 1132 |
| October | 1475 |
| November | 1631 |
| December | 1845 |
| January | 88 |
|---|---|
| February | 45 |
| March | 77 |
| April | 395 |
| May | 240 |
| June | 196 |
| July | 345 |
| August | 550 |
| September | 530 |
| October | 298 |
| November | 103 |
| December | 66 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Opposite, oval leaves with smooth margins.
- 02
A line of hairs along the otherwise soft stem.
- 03
Five white petals split deeply enough to resemble ten.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Eurasia and North Africa; introduced widely, including North America.
Watch the plant stage
Cool, moist growing conditions; learn flowering plants before gathering tender shoots.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Leafy shoot
Correctly identified shoots have raw and lightly cooked food uses.
Care for the patch
Clip a few shoots rather than pulling mats from the soil.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- NC State Extension · Stellaria mediaBotanical description, range and documented use
Checked 9 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction