Plant · P-308

Silverweed

Argentina anserina

Silverweed's starchy root was a genuine pre-potato staple in Scotland and Ireland - crisp, nutty and slightly starchy raw or cooked, or dried and ground into a soup thickener. It spreads indefinitely by stolons that root at every node, a habit useful for erosion control and habitat restoration wherever it is welcome to run. It needs steadily moist ground through the growing season and performs poorly where summers turn long, hot and humid, so it belongs in wet meadow, prairie or riparian settings rather than anywhere that dries out.