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Tennessee Starwort

Stellaria corei

Found in cove forests and seepages at moderate to high elevations, rarely escaped from cultivation. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

58
Strong

Native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
Up to about 16 inches
Light
Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
April to June

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 1 Mississippi county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Seeps and springs

Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

11CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Stellaria

  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
  • Elaphria grataGrateful Midget
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Lobocleta ossulariaDrab Brown Wave
  • Nathalis ioleDainty Sulphur, Dwarf Yellow
Show all 11
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
6BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Stellaria

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
18BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Stellaria

  • Agelaius tricolorTricolored Blackbird
  • Anser rossiiRoss's Goose
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Show all 18
  • Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
  • Spizella passerinaChipping Sparrow
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Caryophyllaceae
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
White
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Tennessee Chickweed

Conservation status

Mississippi rankS1
Global rankG5?
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources