This column is provided as an extension service by the Division of Extension and Community Relations and the Department of Horticulture Science, University of Saskatchewan. As the name implies, this is one of the most common weeds encountered by the homeowner. It can spread over a large area, but it is a small, delicate plant that does not usually pose serious problems. Numerous plants in a small area compete with vegetables and ornamentals for nutrients and water, thus reducing the yield of the desirable plants. Chickweed is native to Europe, where it is also a very common rural and domestic weed.
Chickweed can act as either an annual or a winter annual.
Early the following spring, these rosettes continue their rapid growth because of the lack of competition from other plants. By early summer they have dispersed their seed, which can germinate either in fall or the following spring. Common chickweed spreads rapidly by both seed and stem rooting. Where the ground-hugging stems come in contact with the soil, roots form from the nodes. Single plants are usually only a few centimeters tall, although if in competition with other plants they can be as tall as 30 cm.