The summer phase of this plant, with small yellow flowers on a knee-high leafy stalk, is inedibly bitter, although the flowers and seeds make a spicy condiment. The low-growing basal rosettes of late fall, winter, and early spring, are tasty in a pungent, mustardy fashion, with an unexpectedly sweet undertone. The longish stems are lined with tiny, irregular leaflets, ending with a large, spade-shaped terminal leaflet. Add the leaves to salads and soups for a spicy touch and a supply of vitamin A and anti-oxidants. They tend to prefer a damp habitat, so look for them not too far from streams and ponds.
Chickweed grows in low mats in lawns, gardens, and other open spaces.
Although common, it s a difficult plant to meet, since it s small and lacks immediately distinctive features, except for the tiny white flowers that are present from March to September. On sunny days the stars dot the chickweed patch with their delicate beauty. Get down on your hands and knees and separate a stem from its neighbors. If the patch is flowering, the stems will probably be several inches long and creeping outward to extend their territory. Examine the tiny, pointed, opposite leaves, meeting in pairs at the stem, with one sharp vein down the middle of each leaf.