Common mouse-ear chickweed.

En un coup d'œil

Niveau d'entretien

Facile

Type de plante

Herbaceous perennial

Lumière

Full sun to partial shade

Lumière en intérieur

Soleil direct

Arrosage

Tous les 3 à 7 jours

Taille adulte

6 to 12 inches

Croissance

Rapide

Rusticité

USDA 3 à 9

Floraison

Late spring to summer

Entretien

Keep the soil consistently moist to support its rapid spread. Watch for yellowing leaves which may indicate poor drainage or too much shade. It handles regular foot traffic quite well.

Arrosage

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.

Engrais

Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer sparingly during the active growing season.

Taille

Trim back stems to encourage a denser habit and prevent unwanted spreading.

Rempotage

Repot only if the plant becomes root-bound or needs fresh soil nutrients.

Sol

Well-draining loamy soil

pH du sol

6.0 to 7.5

Température

-20 à 30°C

Humidité

40 à 80%

Sécurité

Humains

The plant is generally considered non-toxic but is not meant for human consumption.

Enfants

Keep away from young children as the small seeds and foliage are not food.

Allergènes de contact

Handling the stems may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Allergènes aéroportés

The pollen can trigger mild seasonal allergies in some people.

Comestibilité

This plant is not considered edible and may cause stomach upset if ingested.

Comment l'identifier

• Small opposite oval leaves
• Soft hairs on foliage
• Five white notched petals
• Low creeping growth habit

Hauteur

0,05 à 0,45m

Envergure

0,1 à 0,6m

Feuilles

green, semi-evergreen

Fleurs

white, 0,5 à 1cm

Fruits

brown, late summer

Problèmes courants

• Aphids — Small insects that cluster on stems and suck plant sap.
• Powdery mildew — A fungal growth that appears as white dust on leaves during humid weather.

La cultiver

Multiplication

seed, division

Quand planter

spring, autumn

This plant is best managed as a component of wild meadows rather than formal garden beds.

Bonnes associations

• Trèfle blanc — They often grow together in low-maintenance turf areas.
• Pissenlit — They share similar habitat preferences in disturbed meadows.

Espèces similaires

• Cerastium tomentosum — It is a popular garden relative with more showy, silvery foliage.

Science

Famille

Caryophyllaceae

Genre

Cerastium

Ordre

Caryophyllales

Classe

Magnoliopsida

Région d'origine

Europe and parts of Asia.

Préservation

This species is widespread and common, so it is not of conservation concern.

It survives by spreading rapidly through seeds and rooting stems in disturbed, moist soils.

Intérêt pour la faune

nectar source

Pollinisateurs

abeilles, papillons

Utilisations

ground cover, weed control, pollinator habitat

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

Is this plant a weed?

Yes, it is widely considered a common lawn weed.

How do I control it?

Regular mowing and maintaining a thick, healthy lawn will help suppress it.

D'où vient le nom

The genus name Cerastium comes from the Greek word for horn, referring to the shape of the seed capsules. The specific epithet fontanum means of a fountain or spring.

Bon à savoir

• It is a very successful colonizer of lawns and pastures.
• The name mouse-ear refers to the shape and hairiness of the leaves.
• It can reproduce both by seed and by rooting at the nodes.