Bloomipedia
Star chickweed (Stellaria pubera)
Photo: botanygirl via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Star chickweed

Stellaria pubera

Star chickweed (Stellaria pubera) is a flowering plant in the Caryophyllaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Star chickweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

24states where USDA records it
8Bloomipedia state lists include it
17,408U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Stellaria pubera, commonly called the star chickweed, is a spring-flowering plant in the carnation family Caryophyllaceae, native to the eastern United States.

  • It belongs to the Caryophyllaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,686 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #28 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,212 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #49 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,215 research-grade sightings of it in Maryland, ranking #53 among the 189 flowers on our Maryland list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,361 records)
Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
VirginiaNativeMarch–May4,686
North CarolinaNativeMarch–May3,212
MarylandNativeApril–May2,215
TennesseeNativeMarch–April1,702
KentuckyNativeMarch–April1,202
GeorgiaNativeMarch–April1,172
IndianaNativeApril–May766
West VirginiaNativeApril745

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 6 of our 8 states.
See each state
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IL (S2), MS (S2), NJ (SX). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Leaves and seeds can be eaten raw. Leaves can be cooked.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records star chickweed in 24 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, James City, King George, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, Wythe.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Bladen, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, Yancey.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Alsine pubera.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 456 counties across 19 states; the most are in Virginia (76), Kentucky (68), Tennessee (60).

More from the Caryophyllaceae family (9 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): White campion, Common soapwort, Deptford pink, Fire pink, Cardinal catchfly, Bladder campion, Moss campion, Maiden pink.

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Sources