Silverweed
From NarratingLandscapes
| Pacific Silverweed | |
 Uprooted Silverweed plant from Trout Lake. | |
| Botanical Name: | Argentina anserina |
|---|---|
| Family: | Rosaceae |
The silver weed roots, along with Field Mint, Chamomile and Elderberries, made up the Lunch portion of The Survive Vancouver Experiment.
Contents |
Botanical Description
The silverweed is a low-growing plant with spreading red stolons up to 80cm long and thick roots. The leaves are clumped and basal, pinnately compound and sharply toothed. The leaves and stem are covered in silver silky hairs, from which it gets its name. There are flowers that bloom at the end of a singular stem 5-15cm above the ground and have about 5 yellow petals. These flowers are commonly mistaken for buttercups.
Habitat
Silverweed prefers gravelly or sandy soils such as salt marshes, beaches, coastal dunes, and estuarine flats. The silverweed tends to grow in extensive patches.
Locality
Western end of Trout Lake.
Harvesting Method
To harvest the silverweed it is much easier to use a spade rather than one's bare hands. I found that this was because the spreading runners are difficult to rip through with your hands in order to get to the edible roots beneath. Once the runner have been breached and the plant turned over, the thick root is easily torn from the rest of the plant for collecting.
Nutritional Information
The silverweed is commonly eaten by many peoples around the world as a staple in their diet due its starchy quality, however, most of the nutritional information about the plant is medicinal. It has been known to treat menstrual cramps, sore throats, oral and skin ulcerations, bleeding, and diarrhea.
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Supported by the Arts IT Fund at UBC