Medicinal Plants : Stellaria media

Name

Chickweed

Biological Name

Stellaria media

Other Names

Addre's mouth, Indian chickweed, satin flower, starwort, stitchwort, tongue-grass, winterweed, starweed, star chickweed, tongue grass, Chickweed

Parts Used

herb

Active Compounds

The active constituents are largely unknown. Chickweed contains relatively high amounts of vitamins and flavonoids, which may explain some of its effect. Although some older information suggests a possible benefit for chickweed in rheumatic conditions, this has not been validated in clinical practice.

History

Chickweed was reportedly used at times for food. Chickweed enjoys a reputation as treating a wide spectrum of conditions in folk medicine, ranging from asthma and indigestion to skin diseases. Traditional Chinese herbalists used a tea made from chickweed to treat nosebleeds.

Chickweed was used in cases of bronchitis, pleurisy, coughs, colds, hoarseness, rheumatism, inflammation, or weakness of the bowels and stomach, lungs, bronchial tubes. Chickweed was said to heals and smoothes anything it comes in contact with.

Chickweed had been used for external application to inflamed substances, skin diseases, boils, scalds, burns, inflamed or sore eyes, erysipelas, tumors, piles, cancer, swollen testes, ulcerated throat and mouth, and all kinds of wounds.

Remedies For

Alterative, demulcent, refrigerant, mucilaginous, pectoral, resolvent, discutient

Useful for:

Eczema

Insect stings and bites

Traditionally used for all cases of bronchitis, pleurisy, coughs, colds, hoarseness, rheumatism, inflammation, weakness of the bowels and stomach, lungs, bronchial tubes, and any other forms of internal inflammation.

Chickweed may be used externally for inflamed surfaces, skin diseases, boils, scalds, burns, inflamed or sore eyes, erysipelas, tumors, piles, cancer, swollen testes, ulcerated throat and mouth, and all kinds of wounds.

Description

Chickweed is an annual or biennial weed found in abundance all over the world in gardens, fields, lawns, waste places, and along roadsides. The usually creeping, brittle stems grow from 4 to 12 inches long and bear opposite, entire, ovate leaves. The small white flowers can be found blooming all year long in terminal, leafy cymes or solitary in the leaf axils.

Dosage

Although formerly used as a tea, chickweed's main use today is as a cream applied liberally several times each day to rashes and inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., eczema) to ease itching and inflammation. As a tincture, 1-5 ml per day can be taken.

Safety

No side effects with chickweed have been reported.