Silverweed
Potentilla anserina
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Potentilla anserina is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Ditches and moist calcareous soils. A common weed of cultivation.
Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Iran, the Himalayas, Manchuria, Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Root - raw or cooked. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then used in soups etc or mixed with cereals. A nice taste, crisp and nutty with a somewhat starchy flavour. The roots are rather thin, though perhaps their size cold be improved in cultivation. Edible young shoots - raw. A tea is made from the leaves.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 3
Contemporary medical herbalists believe that silverweed's main medicinal value lies in its astringency. It is less astringent than the related P. erecta, but it has a gentler action within the gastro-intestinal tract. The whole plant is antispasmodic, mildly astringent, diuretic, foot care, haemostatic, odontalgic and tonic. A strong infusion is used to check the bleeding of piles and to treat diarrhoea, it is also used as a gargle for sore throats. Externally, it is used as a powder to treat ulcers and haemorrhoids whilst the whole bruised plant, placed over a painful area, will act as a local analgesic. The roots are the most astringent part of the plant, they are harvested in late summer or autumn and dried for later use. The leaves are harvested in early summer and dried for later use. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Potentilla anserina Silverweed for diarrhoea, inflammation of the mouth and pharynx, premenstrual syndrome.
Analgesic: Relieves pain.
Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Foot care: Plants that are used in various ways to treat foot problems.
Haemostatic: Controls internal bleeding.
Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 2
A sprig placed in the shoe can help prevent blisters. An infusion of the leaves makes an excellent skin cleansing lotion, it is also used cosmetically as a soothing lotion for reddened skin and for the delicate skins of babies. All parts of the plant contain tannin, though the report does not give quantities. A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Cleanser: For various materials. Perhaps best included under separate headings.
Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.
Dynamic accumulator: Plants that gather minerals or nutrients from the soil and store them in a more bioavailable form and in high concentration in their tissues. Used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
A very easily grown plant, succeeding in almost any soil, thriving in moist clays, though rather dwarfed in dry dusty soils. It grows best in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. Silverweed was formerly cultivated for its edible root. It is still possibly cultivated in parts of Scotland (1992). This plant spreads vigorously by its running roots and can be very invasive. It grows well in a meadow, or places where the grass is only cut occasionally. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground.
Propagating it: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring. Division is also very easy at almost any time the plant is in growth. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Lawn; Meadow; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Possible stomach irritation.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Argentina anserina. Dactylophyllum anserinam. Fragaria anserina.