This is a low, loosely tangled mat of bright green stems and small ovoid leaves, with tiny, white, star-shaped flowers, and shallow, fibrous roots. Threadlike stems are smooth and succulent with a singe line of hairs traveling down one side until they meet a pair of leaves, at which point they become traitors and switch sides, and so on down the stem. The 6- to 18 inch stems lie prostrate except at the erect tips, and branch copiously. The simple oval leaves are pointed at the tips and smooth, though sometimes hairy near the short petioles.
Flowers are white with five deeply divided petals, which give the appearance of having ten.
Hairy sepals are alternate and longer than the petals. Chickweed is as harmless as it is versatile even when ingested in large amounts. Its demulcent, emollient, and anti-inflammatory properties make it the perfect remedy for eczema. When the eczema is weeping, dip a cloth into a very warm decoction of the herb and apply to the inflamed area as a compress until the heat dissipates to lukewarm. Keep replacing with the warmer compresses for 15 to 20 minutes three or more times a day.