Leaves

The leaves are 10–20 cm long, evenly pinnate into in crenate leaflets 2–5 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, covered with silky white hairs, particularly on the underside.

Flowers

The flowers are produced singly on 5–15 cm long stems, 1.5-2.5 cm diameter with five (rarely up to seven) yellow petals. The flowers grow singly from the leaf axils.

Seeds

Stem

Fruit

The fruit is a cluster of dry achenes.

Taste

The roots have a distinctive parsnip-like flavour.

Frequency & law

Very common and not protected, although seek landowners permission before digging up roots.

Possible confusion

Cinquefoil (Potentilla repens) maybe? But Cinquefoil leaves are palmate.

Habitat

Ditches and moist calcareous soils, it also likes sandy, gravelly soils. A common weed of cultivation. Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Iran, the Himalayas, China and Japan.

How to harvest

The roots are harvested in late summer or autumn and dried for later use. The leaves can be harvested in early summer and dried for later use.

Cooking tips

If you can find chunky enough roots they are delicious fried or roasted.

Other uses

A sprig placed in the shoe can help prevent blisters and/or to absorb sweat.

Folklore

The pre-Linnaean name ”anserina” means “of the goose” (Anser), either because the plant was used to feed them or because the leaves reminded of the bird’s footmarks. In Sweden, the flower is called gåsört (goose-wort).