A sweet little well behaved native plant that has the burden of a common name which makes me think of an invasive non-native. This is Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera) which is native to the eastern United States.
Though it looks like the flower has ten petals, each of the five petals is deeply cleft creating the illusion of ten petals. The width of these flowers are twice the size of Common Chickweed, measuring 1/2 inch across. I find the stamens that are tipped with dark anthers particularly attractive against the white petals.The leaves of Star Chickweed are lanceolate and opposite. You won’t find these plants growing in dense clumps but in airy groupings.
Common Chickweed (Stellaria media), in the picture above, grows in very dense clumps or mats. The leaves are egg-shaped with a point at the end, and they are opposite. The flowers are just 1/4 inch across. And like Star Chickweed flowers, there are five petals that are deeply cleft creating the impression of ten petals. The Common Chickweed plant is native to Europe and Asia and naturalized throughout the world.
