Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)
IMG_1496
Taken along the path of the Old Canal, adjacent to the Plym Valley Railway. Part of the National Trusts Plymbridge Woods.
Greater stitchwort, a member of the carnation family, is a spring-flowering plant found across the UK in woodlands, hedgerows, and roadside verges. It grows up to 50 cm tall and bears white flowers with five deeply split petals, giving the appearance of ten. The flowers, 2–3 cm wide, disperse seeds through a distinctive explosive mechanism. Its green, stalkless, grass-like leaves distinguish it from its smaller relative, lesser stitchwort. Traditionally used as a remedy for side pain or as a makeshift buttonhole, the plant is also linked to folklore, with myths warning of thunderstorms or pixie enchantments if picked.
Trust, Woodland. ‘Greater Stitchwort (S. Holostea)’. Woodland Trust. Accessed 17 April 2025. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/....
Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)
IMG_1496
Taken along the path of the Old Canal, adjacent to the Plym Valley Railway. Part of the National Trusts Plymbridge Woods.
Greater stitchwort, a member of the carnation family, is a spring-flowering plant found across the UK in woodlands, hedgerows, and roadside verges. It grows up to 50 cm tall and bears white flowers with five deeply split petals, giving the appearance of ten. The flowers, 2–3 cm wide, disperse seeds through a distinctive explosive mechanism. Its green, stalkless, grass-like leaves distinguish it from its smaller relative, lesser stitchwort. Traditionally used as a remedy for side pain or as a makeshift buttonhole, the plant is also linked to folklore, with myths warning of thunderstorms or pixie enchantments if picked.
Trust, Woodland. ‘Greater Stitchwort (S. Holostea)’. Woodland Trust. Accessed 17 April 2025. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/....