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Potentilla anserina - L.

Common Name

Silverweed

Family

Rosaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Ditches and moist calcareous soils[7]. A common weed of cultivation[1].

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Iran, the Himalayas, Manchuria, Japan.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles, self.The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Lawn; Meadow; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves; Root. Root - raw or cooked[66, 74, 183]. It can also be dried and ground into a powder then used in soups etc or mixed with cereals[5, 12, 13, 54]. A nice taste, crisp and nutty with a somewhat starchy flavour[85, 183]. The roots are rather thin, though perhaps their size cold be improved in cultivation[K]. Edible young shoots - raw[74]. A tea is made from the leaves.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Analgesic; Antispasmodic; Astringent; Diuretic; Foot care; Haemostatic; Odontalgic; Tonic.

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[254]. The whole plant is antispasmodic, mildly astringent, diuretic, foot care, haemostatic, odontalgic and tonic[4, 7, 9, 21]. 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[4]. 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[7, 254]. The roots are the most astringent part of the plant[4], they are harvested in late summer or autumn and dried for later use[254]. The leaves are harvested in early summer and dried for later use[4].

Other Uses
Cleanser; Tannin. A sprig placed in the shoe can help prevent blisters[66]. An infusion of the leaves makes an excellent skin cleansing lotion[66], it is also used cosmetically as a soothing lotion for reddened skin and for the delicate skins of babies[7]. All parts of the plant contain tannin, though the report does not give quantities[4].

Cultivation details

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in almost any soil, thriving in moist clays, though rather dwarfed in dry dusty soils[4]. It grows best in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[1]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil[200]. Silverweed was formerly cultivated for its edible root[5, 67]. It is still possibly cultivated in parts of Scotland (1992)[183]. This plant spreads vigorously by its running roots and can be very invasive[1, 4]. It grows well in a meadow, or places where the grass is only cut occasionally[K]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

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.

Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
17200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.

Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5]Mabey. R. Food for Free.

Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[12]Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder.

A handy pocket guide.

[13]Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.

Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.

Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[54]Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds.

Interesting reading.

[66]Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery.

Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences.

[67]Ahrendt. Berberis and Mahonia.

Not for the casual reader, it lists all the known species in these two genera together with botanic descriptions and other relevant details for the botanist.

[74]Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR.

An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[85]Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.

A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants

A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants

An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Michael Bouckley	Mon Jul 28 14:17:33 2003

Silver Weed aka Hedge Backy can be smoked, can help giving up tobacco, and or can be smoked with other "herbals" like cannabis.

Elizabeth H.
glenn sinclair	Mon Oct 4 22:18:49 2004

This plant is mild,colsely related to P.recta although sulphur cinquefoil is probably the original hemp plant,it can be seen in the latin name database your typical street cannabis is just a mere cross between male nettle pollin and a female unpollinated potentilla recta plant.

Elizabeth H.
Debrah	Tue May 29 2007

This plant is extremely invasive. A ornamental red flowering creeping potentilla was originally planted as a ground cover in a cultivated bed. Apparently that ground cover was a hybrid, and it's seeds sprouted and were a throwback to anserina (has this been encountered by anyone before?) The original ground cover died and anserina quickly spread by runners and seed up to 50 feet away in just two seasons. It has invaded healthy and maintained lawn as well. (Location: Denver Colorado)

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Subject : Potentilla anserina

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