Nature Table: Silverweed

Silverweed is a well-named plant because its most striking characteristic is the silvery colour of its leaves, even more pronounced on the underside.

It’s a creeping perennial abundant throughout Ireland in damp, grassy places and can sometimes become a garden weed.

The trailing stems regularly put down roots so it can spread rapidly. The leaves are pinnate, which means that a number of sharply toothed and hairy leaflets are arranged along a reddish stalk. The yellow, five-petalled flowers appear from May to August and are carried on slender stalks above the foliage.