Common Silverweed Seeds
Common Silverweed Seeds - Potentilla anserina - Argentina anserina - Silver Cinquefoil
Argentina anserina
Silver Cinquefoil
- Hardy to Zone 5
Full Sun
- Germination Tested Not tested
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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 cultivated in Indigenous food forests and estuaries. I believe the plants I harvested seeds from were planted and stewarded by the Indigenous groups 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
Growing Instructions
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $12, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants and large bulbs can only be shipped within Canada.
Any shipping overages will be refunded.
Shipping in Canada
We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order. Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.
Shipping to the US
We ship all US orders via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive.
In our experience shipping seeds over several years, most small orders will make it across the border without issues, but occasionally they will be held at US Customs.
It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure that seeds or bulbils are allowed to be sent to your region. We are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs in your country.
Shipping Internationally
International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.
International shipping countries include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom. 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: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page
Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.
If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.
*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars.
Ecologically Grown
Ecologically Grown
Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
