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Greater Stitchwort

Greater Stitchwort

Rabelera holostea

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How common: Very common

Greater Stitchwort is a slender, spring‑flowering wildflower with starry white blooms. It is a perennial of woods, edges and grassy places across much of Europe and western Asia. You often see it brightening woodland edges and parks in late spring.

Did you know?

  • Each petal is split in two, so every flower looks like it has ten petals.
  • It has been noted to thrive near ant nests, though the reason is unclear.

About the species

Identification

Slender, upright perennial 20–30 cm tall. Stems with four sharp edges, smooth and hairless. Leaves in pairs along the stem, narrow and long‑pointed, stiff, without stalks; the edges and the midline feel slightly rough. Flowers are bright white and star‑like; five petals are deeply split so the flower looks like it has ten. The white petals are about twice as long as the green parts behind them. Afterwards a small egg‑shaped pod forms that opens into six parts. Larger flowers and longer leaves set it apart from lesser stitchwort; wood stitchwort has broader, softer leaves. Flowers in Finland in May–June.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

herb-rich forest

Flowering

May–Jun

About the habitat

Grows in rich, light or semi‑shaded places: deciduous woods, woodland edges and clearings, old grassy meadows, thickets and parks. Often forms showy patches in spring. Found in southern Finland, most common in Uusimaa.

Sources

Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova), CC BY 2.5 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stellaria holostea002.jpg

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Itämeri: rannikon lehdot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38049

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kev%C3%A4tt%C3%A4htim%C3%B6

See also