The image, above, shows the full Silverweed plant (Argentinaanserina) with a young plant just emerging shown top, right
and the mature leaves, bottom left and bottom right. Two views of
the plant's flowers are shown top left..
| Common Name: Silverweed |
| Scientific Name: Argentina anserina |
| Other Names: common silverweed or silver cinquefoil |
| Family: Rosaceae |
| Range: Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Iran, the Himalayas, Manchuria, Japan. |
Physical Characteristics
Argentina anserina is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 30cm (1 ft) by 1m (3 ft 3 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from June to August and its seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees, flies and beetles. The plant also self-fertilizes.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Root |
 Edibility Rating: 3 
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 Known Hazards: In those susceptible consumption of this plant may lead to stomach irritation.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Silverweed along with all the Silverweed containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Silverweed as a major wild food ingredient.
Silverweed, Argentina anserina (also known as common silverweed, silverweed cinquefoil) is a creeping flowering perennial plant of the family Rosaceae (rose family). It is is a low-growing herbaceous plant with creeping red stolons up to 80 cm long. The leaves are 10-20 cm long, evenly pinnate into in crenate leaflets 2-5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, covered with silky white hairs, particularly on the underside. These hairs are also present on the stem and the stolons. These give the leaves the silvery appearance from which the plant gets its name.
Silverweed is most often found in sandy or gravelly soils, where it may spread rapidly by its prolific rooting stolons. It typically occurs in inland habitats and is frequently seen near the base of sandy hedgerows. The extent of this plant's habitat is truly staggering and it can be found from Lapland to New Zealand and China to Chile.
The roots of the plant are edible and can be eaten raw or boiled or baked. It is though that the plant was cultivated during ancient times and that the root was ground into flour after baking. It has also been used as a drought food as it is both drought tolerant and very common in the wild. The root can be dried and ground to a powder before being added to soup of mixed with grains (including wheat flour). The root itself is crisp in texture and has a nutty, slightly starchy flavour.
The young shoots can be eaten raw in salads. The leaves can also be infused in boiling water to prepare a tisane.
The plant's Latin name of Argentia anserina is derived from 'silver' and "of the goose" (Anser), either because the plant was used to feed them or because the leaves are reminiscent of the bird's footmarks.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Silverweed as a major wild food ingredient.
Silverweed, Argentina anserina (also known as common silverweed, silverweed cinquefoil) is a creeping flowering perennial plant of the family Rosaceae (rose family). It is is a low-growing herbaceous plant with creeping red stolons up to 80 cm long. The leaves are 10-20 cm long, evenly pinnate into in crenate leaflets 2-5 cm long and 1-2 cm broad, covered with silky white hairs, particularly on the underside. These hairs are also present on the stem and the stolons. These give the leaves the silvery appearance from which the plant gets its name.
Silverweed is most often found in sandy or gravelly soils, where it may spread rapidly by its prolific rooting stolons. It typically occurs in inland habitats and is frequently seen near the base of sandy hedgerows. The extent of this plant's habitat is truly staggering and it can be found from Lapland to New Zealand and China to Chile.
The roots of the plant are edible and can be eaten raw or boiled or baked. It is though that the plant was cultivated during ancient times and that the root was ground into flour after baking. It has also been used as a drought food as it is both drought tolerant and very common in the wild. The root can be dried and ground to a powder before being added to soup of mixed with grains (including wheat flour). The root itself is crisp in texture and has a nutty, slightly starchy flavour.
The young shoots can be eaten raw in salads. The leaves can also be infused in boiling water to prepare a tisane.
The plant's Latin name of Argentia anserina is derived from 'silver' and "of the goose" (Anser), either because the plant was used to feed them or because the leaves are reminiscent of the bird's footmarks.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Silverweed recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1 recipes in total:
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| Rainkohl und Grünkern-Suppe (Nipplewort and Green Spelt Soup) Origin: Germany |
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