Information on habit, biology, persistence & spread for Sticky mouse-ear.

Other names

Latin names

Cerastium glomeratum Thuil. (C. viscosum)

Weed Type

Annual Broad-leaved Weeds

Occurrence

A native annual or overwintering plant found in open places in natural and artificial habitats. Sticky mouse-ear is common on cultivated ground throughout the UK. It also occurs in waste places, on walls, banks and sand dunes. It is recorded up to 1,600 ft in Britain.

Biology

Sticky mouse-ear flowers from April to September and is automatically self-pollinated.

Seeds sown in the field and cultivated periodically emerged from April to November with the main emergence period from August to October. A decreasing number of seedlings emerged in subsequent years but viable seeds still remained after 5 years.

Sticky mouse-ear seedlings are frost tolerant.

Persistence and Spread

Sticky mouse-ear seeds persist for at least 5 years in cultivated soil.

There is no obvious dispersal mechanism but shed seed is wind dispersed over the soil surface.

Management

Sticky mouse-ear seedlings are controlled by hoeing and other surface cultivations. It is important to prevent seeding.

Fully referenced review