Botanical name: Stellaria media
© Steven Foster
Parts used and where grown
The small, green chickweed plant originated in Europe, but now grows across the United
States. The leaves, stems, and flowers are used medicinally.
Chickweed has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Historical or traditional use (may
or may not be supported by scientific studies)
Chickweed was reportedly used at times for food.1 It enjoys a reputation in folk
medicine for treating a wide spectrum of conditions, ranging from asthma and indigestion to skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. It is sometimes used to alleviate itching
secondary to insect bites.
Active constituents
The active constituents in chickweed are largely unknown. It contains relatively high
amounts of vitamins (e.g. vitamin C) and flavonoids, which may partly explain its
effectiveness as a topical treatment for skin irritations and itching. Although some older
information suggests a possible benefit for chickweed in rheumatic conditions, this has not
been validated in clinical trials.2
How much is usually taken?
Although formerly used as a tea, chickweed is mainly used today as a cream applied
liberally several times each day to rashes and inflammatory skin conditions (e.g., eczema) to ease itching and inflammation.3
As a tincture, 1/4–1 teaspoon (1–5 ml) per day can be taken three times per day.
Two teaspoonfuls (10 grams) of the dried herb may also be drunk as a tea three times
daily.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
No side effects with chickweed have been reported.
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with chickweed.
References:1. Duke JA. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press, 1985, 458–9.
2. Weiss RF. Herbal Medicine. Gothenburg, Sweden: Ab Arcanum,
1988, 265.
3. Hoffman D. The Herbal Handbook. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts
Press, 1988, 64–5.