Folk Medicine
Latin name: Stellaria mediae herba
Usable parts: Whole plant3
Harvest period: Spring
Constituents: Saponins, vitamins, minerals, potassium, tannins, essential oils
Action: Cough-relieving, diuretic, healing, expectorant, dissolving, antiviral
Application: Above all, chickweed is efficient in mitigating lung ailments. According to Sebastian Kneipp, it can also be used to aid kidney and bladder congestion and is said to soothe numerous skin complaints. However, one of its most widespread applications is in the kitchen. It can be used as a key ingredient in vegetable soups, or as a herbal spread, and is appreciated by imaginative chefs with a penchant for experimenting.
Risk of misidentification: None.
Tips for Domestic Cultivation
Chickweed is a plant that can be left to grow on its own. If you allow it to run free in the home garden, you will be amazed at the size it can reach. With its delicious flavour, it is a fresh ingredient available throughout the summer months.
Home Use / Recipe idea
Green omelettes (for 2 persons)
Take a generous handful of fresh chickweed, add it to about two dl of milk and mix with a hand blender until the solids have dissolved. Add two eggs and combine with about 100 g of flour, ensuring that the resulting mixture has a somewhat runny consistency. Pour into a heated pan and fry like a pancake. Flip over halfway and add a filling of your choice.
3 “Die Kräuter in meinem Garten” by Siegrid Hirsch & Felix Grünberger; 22nd Edition; Freya Verlag Gmbh