How to Grow Silverweed
Potentilla anserina
Silverweed is a hardy creeping perennial grown for its starchy edible roots and young leaves. Plant in full sun or light shade in any reasonably moist soil — it tolerates poor, sandy, or compacted ground where little else thrives. It spreads vigorously by red stolons and makes excellent low ground cover. Harvest roots in autumn or early spring when carbohydrate levels peak; they taste best after frost and can be roasted, boiled, or dried. Young spring leaves are edible raw or cooked. Keep spread in check by removing surplus stolons in summer. Cut all growth back to ground level in late autumn.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Top-dress with compost in spring before growth resumes. No supplementary feeding needed — silverweed thrives in poor to average soil and excess nitrogen encourages lush foliage at the expense of root development.
Watch For
- Slugs on young rosettes in spring
- Crown rot in waterlogged soil
- Vine weevil grubs attacking roots
Companions
Yarrow, Meadowsweet, Sorrel, Watermint
Pet Safety
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Thrives in open sunny positions but tolerates light shade. Performs best in full sun where root development is strongest. Avoids deep shade where growth becomes sparse.
Watering
Moderate; tolerates moist or dry conditions
Water young plants during establishment. Once rooted, silverweed is remarkably drought-tolerant and also copes with seasonally wet ground. Avoids only permanently waterlogged soil.
Fertilizing
Top-dress with compost in spring; no feed required
A light spring mulch of garden compost is sufficient to maintain vigour. Excess nitrogen promotes leafy growth at the expense of roots. Thrives in poor to average soil without any feeding.
Pruning
Cut back to ground level in late autumn
Remove excess stolons in summer to control spread. Cut all foliage and runners to near ground level in late autumn once leaves die back. No summer pruning is needed.
Spacing
45 cm apart; spreads vigorously by runners
Plant 45 cm apart — each plant will rapidly send out stolons that root and fill gaps. In a confined bed, trim runners regularly. Ideal as a wide-spreading ground cover in wilder areas.
Support
No support needed
Silverweed is a low creeping plant reaching only 10–15 cm tall. It requires no staking, caging, or any other support structure.
Growing Tips
Harvest roots in autumn
Dig roots after the first frost in October or November when starch content peaks. They taste similar to sweet potato — roast, boil, or dry and grind into flour.
Control the runners
Silverweed spreads vigorously by stolons. Remove surplus runners in summer to keep it contained; they root easily and can be potted on or given away.
Young leaves are edible too
Pick tender spring leaves before flowering for salads or lightly cook as a spinach substitute. Leaves have a mild, slightly astringent flavour.
Tolerates tough conditions
Thrives in poor, sandy, compacted, or even saline soils. A good choice for difficult spots such as gravel paths, coastal gardens, or bare patches.
