Silverweed - Potentilla anserina

Common Names: Silverweed, Common Silverweed, Silverweed Cinquefoil, Silver Cinquefoil, Goose-wort, Goosefoot, Goose Grass, Goose Tansy, Potentilla anserina, Argentilla anserina, Potentilla argentea, Potentila, Silverweed Herb, Silverleaf, Anserine, Lapchatka gusinaya, Gansefingerkraut, Goose Mallow, Richette, Djuma, Toma, Doma, Droma, Gasort, Kačenky, Kačinec, Stříbrníček, Husí nožka, Mochna hedvábná, Nátržník husí, Protikřečová bylina

Latin Name: Potentilla anserina

Origin: Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, North America

Short Introduction

Silverweed commonly grows wild and is considered a ubiquitous weed rather than a cultivated plant. It propagates either by seed or by vegetative means. The fruit is a small achene, forming a cluster of seeds about 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, ovoid in shape, smooth, reddish-brown, with up to 30 per flower. Silverweed seeds germinate unevenly and can remain viable for several years. In the first year, a leaf rosette forms from the seedling; trailing runners that allow the plant to spread invasively appear the next year. The plant can also reproduce through rhizomes or root cuttings.

Pollination occurs either with its own or foreign pollen, carried by insects attracted to nectar. As insects make their way to the stigmas, they brush against the stamens and anthers, becoming dusted with pollen. During rain, the flowers close and stigmas contact the anthers, leading to frequent self-pollination.

Silverweed is still grown for its edible roots. However, wild types are not typically used this way, as their roots are very small and labor-intensive to clean. If it naturalizes, it can become a troublesome weed in garden beds.

Travelers to Tibet reported in the late 19th century that local people dug up and ate silverweed roots raw when no other vegetables were available. During New Year celebrations in Lhasa, boiled silverweed roots with butter and sugar were served.

Detailed Description

A traditional European herb cherished for supporting women’s well-being.

Botanical Information

Silverweed is a perennial herb featuring a robust, shallow, sometimes tuberous, and branched rhizome from which rosettes of leaves grow. From smaller nodes, it sends out above-ground, creeping, stolon-like stems that can reach about a meter in length. The leaves can be up to 20 cm long, are interruptively pinnate (7–12 pairs of leaflets) with translucent brown stipules (13–21 leaflets each about 3 cm long). The leaflets are more elliptical-ovate, with serrated margins, pinnately incised, grey-white and hairy on the underside, and more felted on the upper side. From the axil of the last leaf, additional stem segments may grow, continuing the stem with each segment topped by a flower, creating a sympodial branching pattern.

The flowers, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter, grow on stalks twice the length of the flower. They are cup-shaped with five hairy sepals and rounded, longer petals. Inside, 20 stamens are evenly arranged in three circles, and numerous pistils with sessile styles are set in the central receptacle. Blooming occurs from May through autumn.

Silverweed thrives in sandy, gravelly, or stony soils, easily expanding its range via fertile root stolons. It is more frequent inland, though related species can tolerate saline, coastal soils.

Origin and Distribution

Silverweed likely originated in Southeast Asia and has spread across the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It has been introduced to South America, Australia, and New Zealand, adapting successfully. In the Czech Republic, it is commonly found from lowlands to foothills, especially on slopes, and up to 2,500 meters in the Alps. Its distribution spans Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, China, the USA, Canada, and Greenland.

Preferring moist habitats, silverweed can also grow in dry locations, meadows, pastures, wastelands, ditches, roadsides, rubble heaps, or gardens. Where cultivated, nutrient-rich soil is advantageous, and it tolerates moderately saline conditions.

Usage / Dosage

The medicinal part used is the aerial herb (Herba anserinae), occasionally the root. The aerial parts are best harvested by cutting whole plants between May and June, choosing those not trampled or damaged. Dry them in a dark, airy space under 40°C. Properly dried, silverweed herb has little aroma and astringent taste, and retains its active compounds for years if stored well. When using the root, harvest from September to November, dry slowly, and powder if desired.

Silverweed roots are mainly used in culinary settings. They should be harvested in the morning, cleaned, and refrigerated for at least 5 hours, blanched in hot water for 3–4 minutes, and then used. The herb can be added to salads, and in folklore, it is believed to promote eloquence, power, and protection—sometimes even carried into courtrooms as a charm. Dried silverweed placed inside a blown-out egg and hung above a main entry was said to protect the home.

Historically, it was an agricultural weed, especially in fields and gardens, but improved tillage and crop rotation largely eliminated it from these environments. Today, it is problematic mainly in neglected, damp meadows and gardens, where it can crowd out other plants with its rapid creeping growth.

Traditionally, the flowering tops and rhizomes were harvested for their antispasmodic effects on smooth muscles of the intestines and urogenital tract. People used to put silverweed in their shoes to prevent sweating, and in the Middle Ages it was thought to help with seizures or “St. Vitus’ dance” and was reputed to ward off witches. Folk medicine recommends silverweed for inflammation, diarrhea, painful menstruation, externally for baths to soothe inflamed, weeping, or slow-healing wounds, and as a mouthwash for tooth or gum inflammation and toothache.

Modern herbalists and sources (e.g., J. A. Zentrich) note its excellent effects against cramps, bloody diarrhea, colicky pain, gallbladder colic, peptic ulcers, muscle spasms (in the calves, thighs, etc.), poor blood circulation in the legs, menstrual problems, and mild forms of angina pectoris. Among its main uses, silverweed is regarded as antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and astringent. Other references mention its hepatoprotective action and promotion of bile acid production. In homeopathy, properly diluted extracts are used for menstrual problems and cramps.

Folk healers recall its use for sudden attacks from gallstones or kidney stones and for gynecological difficulties. It also appears beneficial for chronic conditions, easing both symptoms and underlying causes. Tea made from silverweed offers broader use for bronchitis, supporting heart function, reducing stomach acid, aiding urination, and stopping bleeding. Austrian traditional medicine recommends silverweed tea for gastrointestinal, gynecological complaints, and cramps. The herb can be used almost without restriction, with no noted side effects from long-term use. Due to a lack of information, it is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Modern research has confirmed some therapeutic benefits of silverweed herb especially for adult women’s urogenital health, specifically promoting menstrual comfort and overall menstrual health in mild, non-serious cases.

Active Compounds

The aerial parts contain a notable amount of catechin tannins (around 2%), flavonoids, bitters, glycosides, resin, fatty acids, organic acids, mucilaginous substances, essential oils (including tormentol), choline, vitamin C, trace minerals (including lithium), and other yet unidentified compounds.

Traditional Dosage

A decoction is made by boiling 1–2 teaspoons of dried silverweed herb per cup of water for about 3 minutes. Drink this preparation 3 times daily. An infusion is made with 1 tablespoon (or 2 grams) of herb in 150 ml boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes, strained, and taken 2–4 times daily before meals. A milk decoction uses 5 g herb in 250 ml milk, brought to a boil, steeped for about 5 minutes, and drunk 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

An herbal balm can be prepared by mixing 70 g fresh silverweed herb with 150 g (about 180 ml) 40% alcohol, shaking well, and letting it infuse for 3 days. Then add about 200 g honey, shake again, and let stand for a day. After straining, the balm is ready and can be applied up to four times daily.

For cramps, silverweed can be combined in equal parts with yarrow, chamomile, and lemon balm. Steep 2 grams of the blend in 200 ml boiling water for 15 minutes and drink up to three glasses daily, sweetened with honey. For digestive health, silverweed can be blended with yarrow, peppermint, or centaury. For bloating, combine with anise, caraway, masterwort, calamus, fennel, black cumin, angelica, and of course, silverweed. To promote bile flow, silverweed can be mixed with dandelion, horehound, alder buckthorn bark, or peppermint.