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Common Silverweed Seeds

Common Silverweed Seeds - Potentilla anserina - Argentina anserina, Silver Cinquefoil

Potentilla anserina
Argentina anserina, Silver Cinquefoil
  • Hardy to Zone 5
  • Full Sun
  • Germination Tested Not tested
  • Approximately 50 seeds per pack
$6.95 CAD
$6.95 CAD
Sale Sold out

Common Silverweed is an edible and medicinal native plant in the rose family. It has attractive fern-like leaves and yellow flowers. The roots can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried for later, and are said to taste like parsnips, chestnuts and sweet potatoes. The roots and leaves have been used medicinally as an astringent for oral lesions and ulcers, to speed healing and alleviate pain. The whole bruised plant can be used topically as an analgesic (painkiller). It's also used as a trailside remedy for diarrhea. This plant is a bio-accumulator, similar to comfrey, and can be used to make a mineral-rich compost tea garden fertilizer or living mulch.

This is an important plant for Indigenous Peoples, and it has been and continues to be cultivated in Indigenous food forests and estuaries. I believe the plants I harvested seeds from were originally planted and stewarded by the Indigenous peoples of the area (K'ómoks, Kwalikum, and/or Snaw-naw-as Peoples). There are many other Indigenous food plants in the area, such as crabapple, rose, and black hawthorn. 

Silverweed prefers moist or wet soils, and will spread via stolons and rhizomes to form an attractive ground cover. It is tolerant of salt.

The author of Urban Food Forest on Substack has been doing some interesting breeding work on this plant family to breed for larger roots. I'd recommend this blog to anyone interested in growing silverweed for food.

50% of sales from this variety go to Indigenous Food Sovereignty projects. 

Growing Instructions

Press seeds into soil or barely cover, then keep cool and moist until germination. Seeds may benefit from cold stratification, so try planting outdoors in pots in fall or late winter. Transplant when large enough to handle to 1 foot apart.

Shipping & Returns

By placing an order, customers agree to the shipping & refund policies detailed on this page.

Most orders are sent via Canada Post to keep costs low.

 

Shipping within Canada 

We ship seeds in Canada via Canada Post's regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-4 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally letter mail takes up to 6 weeks, especially to the Eastern provinces and rural areas.

Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery and/or tracking.

Larger bulbs and plants are usually sent via tracked flat rate box.

 

Shipping to the US

UPDATE FEB 2, 2026: WE ARE TAKING A BREAK ON ACCEPTING US ORDERS DUE TO ISSUES WITH USPS

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Shipping Internationally

International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.

International shipping countries include: Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom. (List updated Aug 31, 2026)

This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts.

 

Refund Policy

Refunds: We stand behind our seeds, so if for some reason you are not satisfied with your purchase, please reach out to us via email and we will do our best to make it right. Please note that shipping costs are non-refundable. 

Cancelled orders: If you wish to cancel an order after purchasing, we may refund your order minus card processing and admin fees at our discretion. We do not accept returns on seeds or plants.

Refused orders: We cannot issue a refund if you refuse to accept or do not claim an order we've mailed to you, or made available for local pickup. 

Incorrect addresses: Please double check your mailing address, and let us know ASAP if you've entered an incorrect address at checkout. We may need to charge for additional shipping fees to resend orders.

Ecologically Grown

Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

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