Native Plants

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Thursday - June 23, 2011

From: Fairbanks, AK
Region: Northwest
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Plant Identification
Answered by: Nan Hampton and Anne Ruggles

QUESTION:

I live in Alaska and have TEENY cute 5 petaled white flowers growing on my lawn. They are very short, maybe 2 inches in height. The flower is about 1/2 inch wide. They look like a perfect tiny daisy. I tried to copy a picture here, but it won't let me.

ANSWER:

Here are some possibilities for your tiny daisy-like flower:

Moehringia lateriflora (Bluntleaf sandwort) [synonym=Arenaria lateriflora] and here are photos and more information. Here is the USDA Plants Database record with the distribution map and more photos.

The next three do have 5 petals but because the petals are deeply notched it looks as if they have 10 petals. Their tiny white flowers do resemble daisies.

Cerastium arvense (Field chickweed) and here are more photos and information.

Cerastium nutans (nodding chickweed) and here are more photos and information.

Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare (big chickweed) and here are more photos and information.

Another possibility that does grow in Fairbanks, but in wet places (possibly not your lawn), is Saxifraga caespitosa (Tufted alpine saxifrage). You can see photos here and here.