Potentilla fruticosa
| Potentilla fruticosa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Cross Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Width: | 4' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Potentilla fruticosa (common name: shrubby cinquefoil)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring or autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 3 - 5cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in the autumn if possible and overwinter in a cold frame[1].
Softwood cuttings taken in the early summer[2][3]. Easy.
Cultivation: Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[4]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil[5]. Prefers a light well-drained soil[6]. Established plants are drought tolerant[7].
A very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -25°c[8].
A very ornamental shrub[4], there are many named varieties[2].
Polymorphic[2]. A good bee plant[6].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[9].
Dislikes growing under trees, especially Juglans species[10].
Plants are usually dioecious but hermaphrodite forms are also known[11]. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to the Pyrenees, N. and C. Asia to Japan.
Habitat: Damp rocky ground, usually on limestone[12].
Edibility: A tea is made from the dried leaves[13][14][15][16][17][18]. Used as a substitute for China tea, especially by people living at high elevations in the Himalayas[18].
Medicinal: The leaves are astringent[19].
The juice of the root is used in the treatment of indigestion[18].
Usage: Can be grown as a medium size informal hedge[20][5]. Trim in spring[5].
Some forms, notably 'Longacre', 'Elizabeth' and 'Gold Drop' have a dense spreading habit and make good ground cover plants[21].
A useful plant for controlling soil erosion[22].
The dry, flaky bark is used as a tinder for friction fires[23][17]. (fires started by rubbing 2 pieces of wood together very fast).
The powdered plant is used as an incense[18].
The leaves are used as a packing material in pillows[17].
Pollinators: Bees, flies
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Flower Type: Dioecious
Also Known As: Dasiphora fruticosa. Pentaphylloides fruticosa.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association, 1981.
- ↑ Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Shepherd, F. W.. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society, 1974.
- ↑ Napier, Elspeth. Ground Cover Plants. Cassells, 1989.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum, 1979.