Greater Stitchwort

Greater Stitchwort has star-shaped, flowers with five white petals, each deeply notched and almost divided into two. It has green leaves that have a grass-like appearance.

Greater Stitchwort grows in woodland, along roadside verges, hedgerows and grassy banks.

The flowers of the Greater stitchwort begin flowering in late March and continue to the end of June. They are at their most abundant from mid April to mid May.

Honeybees, butterflies and hoverflies feed on the nectar and the flowers are also the foodplant of the Marsh Pug, Plain Clary and Yellow Underwing moths.

Greater Stitchwort has many other common names, including ‘Wedding Cakes’, ‘Star-of-Bethlehem’, ‘Poor Man’s Buttonhole’, ‘Daddy’s-shirt-buttons’ and ‘Snapdragon’.

The used common name of Stitchwort is a reference to the once-held belief it cured pain in the side caused by exercise, known as a ‘stitch’.