To decorate the garden in any style without special effort The charming cinquefoil will come in handy; planting and caring for it is more of a pleasure than a difficult task. And most importantly, the plant will bloom from the beginning of summer until the October frosts.
Potentilla bushes first appeared in flower beds in the 18th century. Even then they appreciated the plant’s unpretentiousness, amazing survival rate, and the beauty of delicate inflorescences with soft leaves and a “fluffy” center, decorated with many stamens.
Depending on the species and variety, cinquefoil will delight you with yellow, white, red, and bright orange shades of flowers. The size and color saturation of the leaves and, accordingly, their use in landscape design also differ.
There are types of cinquefoil: groundcover, herbaceous, shrubby, perennial and annual.
Kuril tea is the common name given to the bush cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa). The species was first found on Kuril Islands. There, the leaves of the plant, unusually rich in vitamin C, tannin and essential oils, were brewed and used as a vitamin drink, especially for colds.
Pink cinquefoil, variety Pink Beauty
In addition to Kuril tea, varieties of such species as white cinquefoil (Potentilla alba) and Nepalese cinquefoil (Potentilla nepalensis) are widely cultivated.
Planting cinquefoil
The best time is early spring, when the snow has already melted and the soil has thawed. But you can plant and replant even in August-September. It is very important to choose the right place.
This should be an open area with good lighting or in light partial shade. Cinquefoil loves the sun very much, but under scorching rays it can become more faded. In dense shade it will bloom very reluctantly and will slow down its growth.
The landing process is simple:
1. Make planting holes up to 60 centimeters deep. The distance between them is at least 30 centimeters.
2. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the hole; broken brick, gravel and even ordinary river pebbles will do.
Cinquefoil Nepali Miss Wilmont 3. To fill the hole approximately halfway, you need to prepare a special mixture: mix sand, humus, leaf soil in a ratio of 1:2:2 and add about 150 grams mineral fertilizer.
4. Fill the hole with the mixture, leaving about 20-30 centimeters to the top edge.
5. Now you can plant the cinquefoil, but be sure to leave the root part (the “neck”) slightly above the ground level. The remaining space of the hole is filled with ordinary garden soil.
6. After planting, the bush must be watered and the soil must not be allowed to dry out in the next three weeks. Mulching will create a wonderful effect - you can carefully spread bark, straw, sawdust or other covering material on the surface around the plant.
Potentilla propagates by seeds, cuttings, root suckers and dividing bushes. The seeds ripen on the bushes as brown “buttons”. They are simply laid out in pre-loosened soil; the first shoots can be planted in about a month.
White bloodroot It is better to divide a three-year-old plant. After planting a perennial variety, you will have to wait 2-3 years for the cinquefoil to bloom.
How to care for cinquefoil
If planting still requires some effort, then maintenance is reduced to a minimum - watering during the period of lack of rain, approximately once every two weeks and preferably with water at room temperature.
To avoid moisture evaporation and protect the roots from winter cold, it is recommended to soil the bushes with compost or pine bark.
An unassuming plant will put up with any conditions, but will thank you with abundant flowering for feeding with fertilizers, loosening the soil, removing weeds and spraying summer evenings. It is dry air that bushy plants tolerate the worst.
Red cinquefoil variety Red Robin How to feed cinquefoil in spring? Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which are applied in the spring, when the buds are ready to bloom, have proven themselves to be good fertilizers.
Formative pruning of shrubby cinquefoil is best done in the fall, in early November. The procedure allows you to obtain compact and lush plantings and stimulates abundant flowering. For the most delicate varieties, for example, pink cinquefoil, it is better to create small shelters for the winter.
Cinquefoil shrub Goldfinger Diseases and pests rarely affect. The only danger is rust. This disease manifests itself as brown spots on the leaves, then they curl and dry out completely. In this case, copper-soap emulsion and other fungicides will help. Rating 4.40
Cinquefoil, or Kuril tea, as it is also called, is a picky plant. The article will help you choose suitable variety, will acquaint the reader with the rules of planting and caring for this plant at home.
general characteristics
Cinquefoil is a herbaceous plant. There are annual, biennial and perennial varieties. Belongs to the Pink family.
Its homeland is the Northern Hemisphere. Natural habitat is located in a temperate climate. About 500 plant species are known.
This plant is represented by both shrubs, subshrubs, and annual herbs. Stems straight or creeping with nodes that take root when in contact with the soil.
Leaf plate depending on the variety, trifoliate, pinnate, palmate. She has stipules.
Flowers They grow solitary, but you can also find multi-flowered inflorescences. They are saucer shaped. They consist of round or obovate petals. The color can be yellow, white, red and pink.
Fetus represented by a nut, small in size. There can be from 10 to 80 pieces. Located on the hairy receptacle.
Potentilla has been cultivated since the middle of the 17th century. About 70 species are grown in horticulture. Which is highly decorative.
Types of Potentilla
White
White
Wild representatives of the species grow in Europe, the European part of Russia and the Caucasus.
This is a perennial herbaceous plant. Height from 8 to 25 centimeters.
The stems are straight and small. They are sparsely covered with foliage. They begin to bush from the base. They are covered with a silky fluff of short hairs.
The root is thick. They practically do not branch. Its surface is covered with scales.
The plant has two types of leaves:
- root
- stem
The first grow from the root system on long brown petioles. They are threefold or fivefold. The latter grow 1-2 pieces on stems. Their shape is obovate. They are smaller in size than root ones.
The flowers are large, their diameter is about 2.5 centimeters. Petals are painted White color. They grow either singly or in apical inflorescences consisting of 3-5 pieces. The flowering period is long. It falls between May and August.
This species is highly resistant to frost. Transfers winter temperature up to -29 degrees.
Gusinaya
Gusinaya
This type of cinquefoil has a second name - crow's foot. Its homeland is the Eurasian continent and North America.
A perennial herbaceous species of cinquefoil. Height from 5 to 20 centimeters.
The stems are creeping, thanks to them the diameter of the plant reaches 2 meters. Used as a ground cover plant. Each branch grows up to 1 meter. Covered with greenish-white skin, which turns reddish in direct sunlight. Its surface is covered with short hairs. The nodes take root when they touch the ground.
The root has a spindle shape. It is thick and meaty.
Root leaves grow on long petioles from a basal rosette. One has 13-25 feathery leaves. This variety does not have stem leaves.
Crow's feet bloom with yellow flowers. They are located singly on stalks. The diameter varies from 1 to 2.5 centimeters.
This unpretentious plant blooms from May to August. Can grow on poor soils. While creating favorable conditions characterized by aggressive growth. It tolerates frosts down to -29 degrees.
Cuff
Cuff
This cinquefoil is widespread in Southern Europe. It is a perennial herbaceous plant. Height 10-30 centimeters.
Basal leaves grow in 5-7 pieces. They are complex, finger-shaped, located on long petioles. Their shape is elongated-obovate. The base of the leaf is cone-shaped.
The upper part of the plate is green and shiny. The lower one is pubescent.
Stem leaves are sessile. They are small in size.
The diameter of the flowers is 2-3 centimeters. They are collected in an inflorescence - scutes. Their appearance resembles flowing cuffs. The color of the petals is white.
Flowering occurs in July. Its duration is about two months. Withstands frosts down to -23 degrees.
Silver
Silver
The homeland is Europe, Asia Minor and Siberia. Grows as spreading subshrubs. Their height is 10-50 centimeters.
The plant grows complex, palmate leaves on its long petioles. Their length is 2.5 centimeters. Each bush contains 5-7 of them.
There are much more peduncles compared to basal foliage. They have a lignified base. Along their length they are abundantly covered with leaves. They grow in an arched manner or crawl along the ground.
Silver cinquefoil has leaves, the lower they grow, the longer their petioles. The upper stem leaves do not have them at all.
Flowers with a diameter of 1 to 1.2 centimeters. The petals are yellow with some gray tint. The inflorescences are paniculate, loose semi-umbrellas. The flowering period lasts from May to July.
This variety of cinquefoil tolerates frosty winters well. Temperatures of -35 degrees are not scary for her.
Sharp-toothed
Sharp-toothed
This species is native to North America. It differs from its counterparts in height, which reaches from 30 to 75 centimeters. At the same time, in the wild it grows up to 1 meter.
The variety is represented by both herbaceous plants and subshrubs.
The basal leaves are complex in shape and pinnate. They have long petioles. The leaf plate is covered with fluff on both sides. Its edges are framed with teeth.
Smaller leaves grow along the stems. They have a lanceolate shape.
Peduncles erect. There are many more of them than basal leaves. The base is most often lignified. The surface of the skin is covered with small hairs.
The flower petals are white or cream colored. The diameter is 2 centimeters. The flowering period occurs in summer from June to August.
The species tolerates well very coldy. Maximum permissible temperature-40 degrees.
It has been grown in cultural gardening since 1826.
Blood red
Blood red
The homeland of this species is the Himalayas. It is a herbaceous plant. Its height is 60-90 centimeters.
The basal leaves are complex. Their length is 7.5 centimeters. Consist of 3 leaves. They grow on long petioles.
Their shape is obovate. The edges are framed with teeth. The lower part of the leaf is covered with fluff.
Peduncles grow straight. They have a large number of branches. The surface of the stems is pubescent.
The diameter of the flower is 2-3 centimeters. The petals are colored red. The inflorescences are located at the top of the peduncles. They are paniculate semi-umbrellas.
Their consistency is loose. The average length of the peduncle is 5 centimeters. Frost resistance is about -29 degrees.
Cultivated since 1824. Lots of output hybrid varieties of this type. Among them there are double flowers.
Golden
Golden
Homeland of the species Central Europe and the Alps. It grows at an altitude of up to 3000 meters above sea level. This is a perennial herbaceous plant. Height ranges from 5 to 25 centimeters.
The basal leaves are complex. They are finger-shaped. They are formed by 5 narrow wedge-shaped leaves. The top of each is rounded. There are teeth along the edges.
Peduncles pubescent. They grow upward.
Flowers with a diameter of 1.5-2 centimeters. Consist of golden yellow petals. Moreover, their color at the base is more saturated. Often an orange spot forms in the middle.
The flowering period occurs in July-August. Frost resistance is high, can withstand temperatures of -29 degrees.
Leafy
Leafy
The species is native to Europe. It can also be found in the Alps. Grows at altitudes up to 2500 meters above sea level. This is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its height ranges from 10 to 30 centimeters.
Basal leaves grow on long petioles. They have a complex shape. Each consists of 5-7 leaves. Their length is about 3 centimeters.
Their shape is oblong. At the top there are teeth along the edges. The lower part of the leaf plate is covered with silky fluff.
The diameter of the flowers is from 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters. The petals are painted white or light pink. A half-umbrella inflorescence is formed. Due to the long pedicels it is loose. The average flowering period is 2 months. It starts in July.
It tolerates frosts down to -29 degrees.
Kluza
Kluza
This species comes from Europe. It grows in low bushes from 5 to 15 centimeters in height. This perennial related to herbs.
The basal leaves consist of 5 leaflets. Each is 1.5 centimeters long. They are located on long petioles. Their shape is wedge-shaped.
The leaf blade is narrow with a rounded tip. There are 3-5 cloves on the edge of it. Inner side abundantly covered with hairs. Moreover, they grow more abundantly at the edges.
The peduncles are thin and grow straight. Their height is greater than that of the basal leaves. The stems are covered with reddish skin. They are woody at the base.
The diameter of the flower is 2.5 centimeters. The petals are painted white. The shape of the corolla is broadly cup-shaped.
Flowers grow singly or are collected in apical inflorescences. Which are represented by loose semi-umbrellas. The flowering period coincides with three summer months - June-August.
Clouse's cinquefoil tolerates winter normally. She is not afraid of frosts down to -23 degrees.
Used in gardening since 1806. The species is highly decorative.
Alpine
Alpine
This species is found on the continents of North America and Eurasia, on alpine slopes and in Arctic regions. It belongs to the perennial herbaceous plant. Its bushes grow from 5 to 20 centimeters.
This cinquefoil is distinguished by its woody root. The stems are short and erect. They have a lot of branching.
The basal leaves are complex. They consist of 3-5 leaves. The upper ones are larger in size. Their shape is wedge-shaped, the apex is rounded.
The teeth are located along the edges of the leaf blade closer to the top. Their color is rich green. The outer side is smooth, the inner side is covered with fluff.
There are few leaves on the stems. They are either sessile or semi-sedentary. Their shape is almost solid.
The diameter of the flowers is 2-2.5 centimeters. Their petals are yellow. Often found with an orange center.
The inflorescence is a semi-umbrella. It consists of 2-12 flowers. The flowering period is June-August.
Winter frosts Alpine cinquefoil can withstand up to -29 degrees.
Erect
Erect
The species is widespread in Europe, Asia Minor, Siberia and the Caucasus. This is a perennial herbaceous plant. They grow as a bush with a height of 10 to 50 centimeters. Erect branches form a dense crown.
The root system is tuberous. At the breaks it is red. The root is covered with lignified bark.
Peduncles are straight. Branching begins closer to the top. The surface of the stems is covered with short silky hairs. The leaves on them grow in nodes.
The basal leaves are wedge-shaped or oblanceolate. They are trifoliate or palmate. The length is 3 centimeters. In this species they die off at the beginning of flowering.
The edges of the leaf plate are cut - serrated. The upper side is bare, the lower side is pubescent.
The flowers are medium in size, about 1 centimeter in diameter. The petals are painted bright yellow, which is lighter at the outer edge. Varieties of this variety have 4 of them; five-petalled flowers are rare.
Inflorescences are loose semi-umbrellas. The species also has single flowers growing at the top of a long pedicel.
Erect cinquefoil blooms for a long time. Its flowers bloom in May and fade only in September.
The species is hardy and unpretentious. Traditional medicine classifies it as a medicinal plant. Tolerates winter frosts down to – 29 degrees.
Woolly
Woolly
The native habitats of the species are the mountain slopes of the Himalayas and the Alps. Perennial herbaceous plant, grows in carpet turfs. Height ranges from 5 to 10 centimeters.
The stems creep along the ground. Their length reaches 45 centimeters. When the nodes come into contact with the soil, they form a new root system.
The basal leaves have a trifoliate surface. They grow on red petioles. Consist of 3 leaves 1-4 centimeters long.
The leaf plate is wedge-shaped. Its top is blunt. Its edge is framed with sharp teeth. Its color is bluish-green. The underside is densely covered with hairs.
The flowers are large, the diameter reaches 4 centimeters. The petals are golden yellow. Half-umbrella inflorescences consist of 6 flowers, but there are also single specimens.
Decorative fruits. They are abundantly covered with silky hairs. The shell is colored brown.
Flowering period July - September.
Varieties of this species are highly decorative.
Woolly cinquefoil prefers mild winters. An acceptable temperature for her is not lower than -18 degrees.
Shrub
Shrub
It grows in regions of the Northern Hemisphere with temperate climatic conditions. This is a deciduous shrub. Its height varies from 60 to 120 centimeters, sometimes it can grow up to 1.5 meters.
The crown is erect. Formed from densely growing branches, abundantly covered with foliage. It has a compact or moderately spreading shape.
The bark is red-brown. Its surface layer is prone to peeling. On young shoots it is red, covered with white appressed hairs.
The leaves are small. The average length is 2.5 centimeters. They have a complex feathery shape. They usually consist of unpaired leaves. There can be from 3 to 7 pieces. They grow close to each other, crowded.
The shape of the leaf blade can be ovoid, lanceolate or oblong. The upper side is smooth, the lower side is pubescent. They are colored in different shades of green, from light to dark. With the onset of autumn, the color of the leaves does not change.
The diameter of the flowers is 2-4 centimeters. They resemble the shape of apple tree flowers. Inflorescences consist of 3 pieces. They are found growing solitarily on the tops of branches. The petals are colored yellow or white.
Varieties of this species bloom for a long time from July to October. The bushes are usually abundantly strewn with flowers.
Frost resistance is good. Shrub cinquefoil tolerates temperatures down to – 34 degrees.
This variety has a second name - Kuril tea. It is given because tea is brewed from its leaves. This herbal tea is considered beneficial for the body.
Nepalese
Nepalese
The species grows on the mountain slopes of the Alps and Himalayas. This is a perennial herbaceous plant. The height does not exceed 60 centimeters.
Peduncles are straight, rather rigid. The surface is moderately covered with fluff. Leaves grow on them abundantly.
The basal leaves are complex, palmate in shape. The petioles are about 30 centimeters long and are colored red. Consist of 5 leaves.
The leaf blade is elliptical or obovate in shape. Large teeth are located along the edges. The length reaches 8 centimeters. The leaves growing on the stems are smaller in size.
The diameter of the flowers is 2-2.5 centimeters. Petals are crimson or red. The base has a more saturated pigment. They grow on long stalks. They are collected in loose inflorescences in the form of panicles.
Gardeners have been growing Nepalese bloodroot since 1820. It has become widespread. Most varieties are highly decorative.
Frosty temperatures in winter can be maintained down to -29 degrees.
Brilliant
Brilliant
The homeland of the species is Southern Europe and the Alps. On mountain slopes it grows at an altitude of 1200 to 2500 meters above sea level. This is a perennial herbaceous plant. The height of the bushes is from 2 to 10 centimeters. Diameter up to 20 centimeters.
Peduncles are short, erect. They are densely covered with silky down.
The basal leaves are spreading. Their shape is finger-shaped. Consist of 3-5 leaves. The average length of each is about 1 centimeter.
The leaf blade is obovate. It has a pointed apex framed by 3 teeth. Both sides are densely covered with silvery hairs. When blooming, young leaves appear white. This effect is created thanks to the abundant fluff.
The diameter of the flower is 2-3 centimeters. The petals have colors of all shades from white to pink. Flowering is moderate, occurring in July-September.
The variety is photophilous. Grows well on sandy, calcareous soils. Frost resistance is quite high. Withstands cold temperatures down to -29 degrees.
Norwegian
Norwegian
This cinquefoil is widespread in Alaska, Siberia, Far East. China, European regions of Russia and Northern Europe. Represents annual and biennial plants related to herbs. Height 30-45 centimeters.
The stems grow straight. Densely framed with leaves. The surface is covered with hairs.
The basal foliage is located on long petioles. The leaves are compound trifoliate or pinnate. They consist of 3-5 small pieces, each about 7 centimeters long.
The leaf plate has an elongated elliptical shape. The teeth are unevenly spaced along the edge. Both sides are covered with coarse hairs. They do not adhere to the surface.
The flowers of Norwegian cinquefoil are small. Their diameter is 0.6-1.2 centimeters. The petals are bright yellow. They grow in corymbose tufts located in the axils of the upper stem leaves.
Flowering lasts from May to September.
The species has high frost resistance. It tolerates frosts down to -40 degrees.
Bolotnaya
Bolotnaya
Grows in arctic and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species consists of perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs. Height of 30-45 centimeters.
The rhizome is creeping. Spreads over a large area. Its structure is woody.
Flowering stems drooping, creeping. Rooting at nodes upon contact with soil. Their color is red. They have many side branches.
The leaves of the basal rosette are compound. Their shape is feathery. They grow on reddish petioles. Average length 6 centimeters. Consist of 5-7 smaller leaves.
The diameter of the flowers is about 3.5 centimeters. Their petals are red and may have a brown tint. The inflorescences are loose semi-umbrellas, growing from the upper leaf axils. Flowering continues all summer from June to August.
Withstands winter frosts down to -40 degrees.
The main method of propagation of this species is vegetative. Produced by separating rooted nodes.
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Reproduction
Cinquefoil reproduces in two ways:
- seminal
- vegetative (cuttings, layering, dividing the bush)
Seed method
Seeds can be planted directly into the ground, and seedlings can be grown from them. It is better to sow in the ground in the fall. During the winter months they will go through a process of natural stratification. The first shoots will appear after the snow melts.
This method doesn't require much effort. However, in winter the seeds can freeze and rot. To play it safe, it is better to plant them as seedlings.
Tips for growing cinquefoil seedlings at home:
- It is recommended to sow seeds in February. The plant does not have any special requirements for soil, so a substrate for indoor flowers is suitable.
- A drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the planting box. It can be expanded clay, or small crushed stone.
- Sow seeds in furrows and water.
- Cover the top with cling film.
- The temperature should be maintained in the room where the planted seedlings are located, 15 - 18 degrees.
- After the sprouted plants have formed 2 leaves, you need to pick. Transplanted into separate glasses or peat pots.
- With the onset of summer, young plants are planted in open ground. Cinquefoil grows slowly. You should not expect that a full-fledged bush will form in the first year of life.
- Before the onset of winter, you need to cover the planting. This is done before the plant’s first wintering, even if the variety tolerates frost well.
A plant planted with seeds will begin to bloom only in the second year of life.
Vegetative method
The time for vegetative propagation must be chosen according to the method. So, dividing the bush is carried out in spring and autumn. Should I take cuttings or make layering? better in summer. This way, the plant will take root more easily, and the mother bush will not suffer.
Bush division:
A plant that has reached the age of 4 years is subject to division of the bush.
It is carefully dug up.
The root system is washed with water.
You need to cut it with a sharp knife.
Each part should contain at least 3-4 buds.
When planting in the ground, you need to maintain a distance of 30-40 centimeters.
Cuttings:
The cuttings are cut about 10 centimeters long. This should be a green sprig cut from the top of the stem.
Flowers and buds need to be cut. They require strength from the plant, which is useful for the formation of the root system.
Rooting will take from 30 to 45 days.
You can root it in perlite or by planting it in the ground in your garden plot. Cover the top with a jar. To create a greenhouse effect.
Spray several times a day.
If new buds begin to form on the cuttings, they need to be cut off.
Before the first wintering, be sure to cover it with spruce branches.
Layerings:
Select a branch to form a new bush.
Make a small cut.
Attach it to the ground with a pin and sprinkle soil on top.
The root system will form during the summer season.
In the fall, the cuttings are separated from the mother bush and transplanted to permanent place.
Care
Planting a plant
Bushes are planted at a distance of about 30 centimeters, regardless of the characteristics of the selected variety.
Description of the landing process:
- First you need to dig holes. The depth needed is 60 centimeters.
- A drainage layer is laid on the bottom: gravel, pebbles, broken bricks.
- Soil is poured on top . You can use the following mixture: sand – 1 part, leaf soil – 2 parts, humus – 2 parts, complex mineral fertilizer – 150 grams
- The cinquefoil bush is planted so that the root collar is above the surface of the ground.
- The planting needs to be watered and a layer of mulch laid.
Description of care instructions
Watering the plant is carried out 2 times a month. For this you need to use water at room temperature. For one bush, 1 ten-liter bucket is enough.
The soil should not be allowed to dry out. In dry times, watering should be done as the soil dries out. After watering, the soil needs to be loosened. This will prevent crust formation and cracking of the soil.
If there appeared nearby weed, it must be removed. This process can be reduced to a minimum by mulching. Then you won’t have to frequently loosen and weed the cinquefoil.
Every year in spring the bushes need pruning. Long and frozen branches in winter are removed. This will renew the bush, give it decorative look and will ensure abundant flowering.
Feed the plant once a year. This should be done in the spring, before the cinquefoil begins to produce buds. You can use fertilizers with potassium or phosphate. A bucket of water requires 30 grams of feeding mixture. This amount is enough for one plant root.
After the cinquefoil has faded, you need to remove the wilted flowers and part of the stems. For prevention, bushes can be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Adult plants are not covered for the winter; most species are highly frost-resistant.
The cutworm is one of the enemies of the cinquefoil
Cinquefoil enjoys good health. It is rarely affected by diseases and harmful insects.
Among the common misfortunes she may be exposed to:
- rust
- spotting
- powdery mildew
If an annual plant is infected, no measures need to be taken. The bush will be removed in the fall. The decorative quality of summer will not be diminished by them. If perennial species are affected, it is necessary to treat with fungicides.
These include colloidal sulfur and Bordeaux mixture. Of the insects, from time to time the cinquefoil is attacked by the cutworm. Insecticides will help destroy them. For example, Decis, Fitoverm.
Cinquefoil will decorate any flower bed. Her unpretentiousness becomes a huge plus. It can be used in landscape compositions. Followers traditional medicine can use it to prepare tea decoctions that have antiviral and analgesic effects.
Cinquefoil is a large genus of the Rosaceae family. Translated from Latin, the name of this flower is associated with the words “mighty” and “strong,” which clearly characterizes the power of the medicinal properties of some species of this genus.
There are perennial and annual varieties, presented as herbaceous plants or small shrubs.
Types and varieties
- a perennial plant, reaches a height of 10-25 cm, with unusual palmate-lobed leaves. Inflorescences up to three centimeters in diameter are located on tall leafless stems up to 25 cm high.
– perennial, up to 50 cm tall, with straight, branched stems purple tint. There are large (up to 30 cm) dark green palmate leaves.
The flowers (up to 3 cm in diameter) come in red and pink shades, with dark pink veins collected in panicles.
The most famous varieties:
- Roxana ,
- Potentilla variety Miss Wilmont ,
- Floris .
(goose foot ) – has a basal rosette of pinnately complex leaves (about 20 cm tall). A distinctive feature is the presence of pubescence on the lower part of the leaf. Yellow flowers, 2 cm in diameter, are located on long stems with no leaves at all.
Or straight (galangal ) – perennial species, which is straight stems growing up to 20 cm tall, branching closer to the top. The leaves are trifoliate. The inflorescences are small, up to 1 cm in diameter, located on long stalks.
- a perennial with a large tuberous rhizome. The stems rise in beautiful arches to a height of up to 30 cm with five to seven separate basal and lower stem leaves. The inflorescences are collected in neat corymbose-shaped panicles. Flowers are 1-1.2 cm in diameter.
- this species combines many hybrid forms experimentally bred by flower growers. Representatives of this species have an oblique or vertical rhizome, pubescent, erect stems up to 90-100 cm high, with leaves collected in a basal rosette.
In this case, the lower leaves are trifoliate or palmate with sharp serrations, on long petioles, and the stem leaves are trifoliate and sessile.
Some of the varieties:
- - long-blooming cinquefoil with simple yellow large flowers,
- Cinquefoil variety Yellow Queen - yellow shiny inflorescences,
- — Cinquefoil with bright red double flowers.
Cinquefoil shrub care and cultivation
Growing shrubby and herbaceous cinquefoil is no different and is not too labor-intensive.
The main thing is to weed, water, feed the plant in time, and also do not forget about mulching, loosening the soil around and removing faded flowers, leaves and weeds.
Watering cinquefoil
Watering is carried out once every two weeks, provided there is no rain. If the bush is mulched in the spring, for example, with peat (or sawdust), then the need for weeding and loosening is sharply reduced or eliminated altogether; the main thing is to periodically add mulch to the area.
Fertilizer for bloodroot
Fertilizing is carried out three times a year (May, July and September) with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants.
An additional, but not mandatory, condition is spraying (moistening) the cinquefoil at the end of a stuffy summer day, by doing which you can be sure of abundant flowering.
Pruning cinquefoil bush
Pruning is carried out in early spring, even before new buds appear, and in the fall after flowering has ended. If pruning is not carried out, the cinquefoil may lose its decorative effect and turn into an untidy shrub.
During pruning, broken and dry branches, dried leaves and flowers are removed, and the bush is also shaped into the desired shape (most often a ball shape).
In the fall, annual cinquefoil varieties are removed, the area is dug up, and fertilizers are applied. Shrub species of cinquefoil are pruned by a third. As a preventative control against diseases, the plant is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.
Cinquefoil in winter
As for preparing for winter, there are no difficulties here. Due to the fact that cinquefoil is frost-resistant, it does not require shelter in winter, with the exception of young seedlings and rooted cuttings.
Cinquefoil growing from seeds
Potentilla grass propagates different ways. For example, propagation by seeds. Some gardeners advise sowing a plot of open ground with seeds in the fall, then by spring they will undergo natural stratification and young shoots will appear, which will only need to be planted.
But seedlings are still considered a more reliable method. To do this, seeds are sown in pre-prepared boxes with substrate back in February or March. Then create greenhouse conditions by covering with polyethylene and maintaining the air temperature within 15-18°C.
After the young shoots have leaves, they need to be picked into separate cups. Seedlings grow very slowly. In August-September, plants are planted in open ground in a permanent place. Cinquefoil, sprouted from seeds, begins to bloom only in the second year.
Reproduction of cinquefoil bush
Reproduction of shrub-type cinquefoil is carried out in early spring, when all the snow has thawed and the ground has warmed up. To do this, dig holes twice as large as the earthen ball (the size of the pot in which the bush had previously taken root).
The distance between each bush should be at least 30-40 cm. A drainage layer (limestone gravel) is laid at the bottom of the hole. Then fill the hole halfway with a mixture consisting of two parts humus, two parts leaf soil and one part sand. After which it won't hurt good feeding as a complex mineral fertilizer (150 g).
When immersing a seedling in a hole, it is necessary to ensure that the root collar of the plant is slightly above ground level after it is covered with the rest of the soil.
Immediately after planting, it is necessary to provide abundant watering, and over the next couple of weeks, ensure timely moisture of the soil, preventing it from drying out. You can also mulch the bushes with straw or sawdust, so the ground will remain moist longer.
Potentilla propagation by cuttings
Potentilla cuttings are carried out in early August. Cuttings, about 10 cm long, are cut from the ends of the shoots (removing the flowers). Rooting is carried out in damp perlite for 1-1.5 months in a warm room.
You can also plant it in open ground, in the shade of the garden, covering glass jar or cropped plastic bottle. Spraying is carried out several times a day and if buds begin to appear, then tear them off, they can weaken the growth of the cuttings. For the winter, be sure to cover the cinquefoil with spruce branches.
Propagation of cinquefoil by layering
The easiest way to propagate is by layering; for this in the spring, the strongest and healthiest, low-growing shoot is selected and cut along outside and fits into the dug groove. If it does not fit well, it must be secured with something and sprinkled with earth.
Closer to autumn, this layer forms its own root system and it can be separated from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.
Propagation of cinquefoil by dividing the bush
The bush is divided at the end of April or in the fall (in the first half of September). To do this, choose a bush that is at least four years old, dig up the rhizome, carefully clear the soil so that the roots are clearly visible, and cut it into pieces so that each piece has two or three buds.
The sections are treated with a growth stimulator and planted in the ground, making sure that the buds do not sink deep into the ground. Do not forget to maintain a distance of 30-40 cm between plots.
Diseases and pests
Pests and diseases rarely affect this plant if you follow simple recommendations for its care. Sometimes cinquefoil is affected by rust, powdery mildew and spotting.
If something like this happened to annual variety, then there is nothing wrong with it, it will not lose its decorative effect, and at the end of the season it must still be disposed of.
Perennial varieties and species must be treated with a fungicide. Among the known pests are cutworms, which are destroyed by treatment with insecticides.
White cinquefoil beneficial properties and contraindications
The leaves and flowers of white cinquefoil contain a large amount of ascorbic acid - several times more than in lemons! They also contain carotene, organic acids and many other useful substances.
The one-year flowering tips of cinquefoil shoots, ten to fifteen centimeters long, are used as medicinal raw materials.
White cinquefoil has no contraindications, except for severe hypotension.
Potentilla decoction
Brew at the rate of one tablespoon of crushed raw materials per two hundred and fifty grams of boiling water. In this form, cinquefoil is used to treat intestinal infections, dysbiosis in children, normalize metabolism, treat wounds, burns, and boils.
For rinsing the mouth and throat for sore throat, stomatitis, it is also a diuretic, but at the same time treats bedwetting, and also relieves constipation and calms stress.
The amazingly beautiful, unpretentious and fast-growing Nepalese cinquefoil has won the hearts of many gardeners with its large pink flowers. It is a pleasure to grow it - it is rarely affected by pests, is decorative in a sunny flower bed and decorates the garden until late autumn. It is the correct planting and care of cinquefoil (pictured) in open ground that will be discussed in this article.
Caring for Nepalese cinquefoil
The Western Himalayas and Nepal are considered the homeland of this flower, where numerous specimens in natural conditions they still meet now. Nepalese cinquefoil is a perennial plant with tall, well-branched purple stems capable of natural conditions grow up to 50 cm in height. The palmate leaves, similar to an animal's paw, are quite large and can reach 30 cm in length. The color of the leaf depends on the soil in which the cinquefoil grows and can vary from light green to dark with almost black veins. Flowering lasts two months. Five-petalled flower 3 cm in diameter, light pink or red.
All types of cinquefoil grow best in bright sunlight. Nepalese cinquefoil is no exception. Moreover, the flowers of the plant in cloudy weather, that is, in the absence of sunlight, do not even open completely. Planting in the shade is unacceptable for this flower.
Nepalese cinquefoil is a winter-hardy plant. However, in regions with a harsh climate, where temperatures drop below -25 degrees and there are frequent thaws, it is recommended to cover cinquefoil plantings with spruce branches, dry leaves or agrofibre.
Plants are most decorative on loose and nutritious soils with plenty of lime. Although cinquefoil can grow on any soil. In dry spring and summer, the flower requires regular watering, at least 2-3 times a week.
For abundant flowering Potentilla should be fed three times per season organic fertilizers for flowering plants:
- the first feeding is carried out in early spring, when the snow has melted;
- the second time - at the time of budding in mid-May;
- The third feeding is applied after flowering in August.
Attention! Early spring- This best time for planting cinquefoil seedlings. But replanting can be done even after flowering.
Planting Nepalese cinquefoil
Planting cinquefoil in your garden plot is not at all difficult. Follow this sequence:
- Prepare a planting hole at least 60 cm deep. If you are planting several plants, then keep a distance of at least 30 cm between them.
- Line the bottom of the hole with drainage; large pieces of brick, gravel or river sand will do.
- Fill half of the hole with a soil mixture of sand, humus and leaf soil in a ratio of 1:2:2.
- Plant a cinquefoil seedling in the hole, but leave the root collar above the soil level. Cover the planted plant with ordinary soil.
- After this, water all the plantings and do not allow them to dry out over the next three weeks.
In the spring, before the leaves bloom, the cinquefoil needs pruning. In this way, fairly neat crowns will be formed, and flowering will be abundant.
Common varieties of Nepalese cinquefoil
As a result of selection, the following were derived decorative varieties Nepalese cinquefoil:
Propagation of Nepalese cinquefoil
Nepalese cinquefoil, like other perennial plants, is propagated by several methods: dividing rhizomes, green cuttings or seeds.
The most common and fastest method of vegetative propagation is division of rhizomes. In spring or autumn, the cinquefoil bush is dug up and the rhizome is divided into several parts with sharp pruners. All received Nepalese cinquefoil seedlings are immediately planted in a permanent place, following the sequence described above.
The method of propagation by green cuttings is more complex and less effective. In June-July, select green, elastic and well-ripened green shoots. Cut and prepare cuttings from them with two or three internodes and a length of 4-6 cm. Plant in a container with fresh fertile soil and cover plastic film. Cuttings take a very long time to form roots: planted in June, they take root only by September. After growth appears on the rooted cuttings, they are transplanted to a permanent place in the flower garden.
The easiest way is to propagate by seeds. They are sown at any time, but the seedlings bloom only in the second year after planting.
Diseases and pests of Nepalese cinquefoil
All types of cinquefoil are rarely susceptible to disease or pest attack. However, with improper care, in particular excessive watering, the plant may be susceptible to fungal disease called rust. To combat the disease, systemic fungicides are used.
Attention! Excessively moist soil often causes rotting of the root collar and small feeding roots, which often leads to the death of the entire plant.
The main enemy of cinquefoil is considered to be cutworms, whose caterpillars eat the green leaves and flowers of the plant. Twice treating the ground part with an insecticide solution will help eradicate them.
Use in landscape design
Nepalese cinquefoil is good as a single crop on alpine hills, in gardens among stones or as a border plant. But its flowers also look good surrounded by many low-growing plants, such as bells and speedwells. By planting in a row, you can make a small hedge from plants and enclose a flower bed with it.
Growing cinquefoil: video
Types of cinquefoil: photo
Cinquefoil (lat. Potentilla) is one of the largest genus of the Rosaceae family in terms of the number of species, the most characteristic representatives of which are the cinquefoil goose and the cinquefoil erect, or galangal grass. Among the cinquefoils, of which there are about five thousand species in the world, there are many herbaceous species of perennial, biennial and annual plants and shrubs. IN garden culture Both the cinquefoil grass and the cinquefoil subshrub are grown.
The stems of representatives of this genus are most often erect, widened or erect, sometimes creeping. The leaves are multipartite or pinnate, green or gray-green in color. Shrub species of cinquefoil reach a height of one and a half meters, growing in width by approximately one meter. The flowers of most species are collected in pseudo-umbellate or corymbose-paniculate inflorescences, but there are species with single flowers. The colors of the flowers are varied - red, golden yellow, orange, pink, cream, white. Potentilla flower lasts a long time - from May to September. The fruit consists of large quantity achenes - from 10 to 80, usually bare, but sometimes hairy, and the more exotic the plant is, the larger the fruit.
All cinquefoils are undemanding to growing conditions, with the exception of a few finicky species, which include, for example, white cinquefoil, which prefers to grow in the shade, or shiny cinquefoil, which feels best in southern exposure on dry sandy soils. All other species love bright areas, shaded in the afternoon by other plants, and loose, slightly acidic, nutritious and well-drained soil containing a small amount of lime. The exception is arctic cinquefoil, which needs acidic soil.
Cinquefoil growing from seeds |
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Professionals say that you can sow the seeds of herbaceous cinquefoil species simply in the ground in the fall, so that they undergo natural stratification over the winter, after which in the spring the seedlings sprout together, and all that remains is to plant them. You can sow seeds in the ground in spring. But it is better not to risk the seed and grow seedlings by sowing the seeds in February or March and germinating them under polyethylene at a temperature of 15-18 ºC. As soon as the seedlings have real leaves, they need to be planted in separate cups or peat pots. Seedlings grow slowly, but, nevertheless, at the end of summer they are planted in open ground in a permanent place. For the winter, young plants must be covered. Potentillas bloom from seeds in the second year. Cinquefoil often reproduces by self-sowing.
Potentilla planting in open ground |
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Planting shrubby cinquefoil. In early spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, the seedlings shrub varieties Potentillas are planted in holes that should be twice as deep and wide as the earthen ball or the size of the container in which the cinquefoil roots are located. The distance between two bushes should be at least 30 cm. A layer of lime gravel is poured onto the bottom of the hole as drainage, then the hole is half filled with a mixture of humus, leaf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:2:1, to which 150 g of complex mineral fertilizer is added .
The seedling is lowered into the hole so that its root collar is slightly above the level of the surface of the site, then the hole is filled to the top with garden soil, compacted and watered. For three weeks after planting, make sure that the cinquefoil bush does not lack water. Mulch the area with straw, bark or sawdust - this will prevent the soil from drying out too quickly. If necessary, planting of cinquefoil is carried out in late summer or early autumn.
Potentilla care in open ground |
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Cinquefoil types and varieties |
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There are so many varieties and types of cinquefoil that even listing them would take a full chapter, so we will introduce you only to the most popular types. So, among the herbaceous species the most famous are:
Cinquefoil (Potentilla apennina)
perennial with trifoliate silvery pubescent leaves collected in a rosette, with pink or white flowers.
White cinquefoil (Potentilla alba)
It is a perennial with a height of eight to twenty-five centimeters with complex palmate-lobed basal leaves with brown stipules. Its flowers are white, up to three centimeters in diameter, collected several times in loose umbellate or racemose inflorescences. Peduncles reach a height of 25 cm; the plant has no stem leaves.
Potentilla anserina
Or Goose foot. The basal rosette of this species is formed by pinnately compound leaves up to 20 cm long, pubescent on the underside. The peduncles are leafless, bearing single yellow flowers up to 2 cm in diameter.
Nepalese cinquefoil (Potentilla nepalensis)
A perennial plant up to 50 cm high with branched straight purple stems. The leaves are palmate, dark green, large - up to 30 cm long. The flowers, also large - up to 3 cm in diameter, red or light pink with dark pink veins - collected in panicles, bloom from the beginning of July for almost two months. The most attractive varieties:
. Cinquefoil "Roxana"- with salmon-orange flowers with dark veins.
. Cinquefoil "Miss Wilmotte"- pink cherry flowers with a dark eye. The variety blooms profusely and for a long time.
. Cinquefoil "Floris"- delicate salmon-colored flowers with a red-orange eye.
Cinquefoil erecta or galangal (Potentilla erecta)
It grows in the tundra and forest zones on the edges, lawns along the banks of rivers and swamps. This is a perennial plant with an unevenly thickened woody rhizome. The erect stem is no higher than 20 cm, branched in the upper part and leafy, the leaves are trifoliate - sessile stem, basal, dying off at the beginning of flowering - on long petioles. Flowers, solitary, regular, up to 1 cm in diameter, on thin long stalks, bloom in June-August.
Silver cinquefoil (Potentilla argentea)
A perennial with a large tuberous rhizome, slender arcuately rising stems up to 30 cm high, long-scaled basal and lower stem leaves and three to five-parted middle and upper stem leaves, densely covered with white hair on the underside. The loose corymbose-paniculate inflorescence consists of small flowers up to 12 mm in diameter. Plants of this species bloom in June-July.
Hybrid cinquefoil (Potentilla x hybrida)
this species combines varieties and garden forms of hybrid origin. In most plants, the rhizome is oblique or vertical, the stems are pubescent, strongly branched, erect, up to 90 cm high with leaves collected in a basal rosette - the lower leaves are trifoliate or palmate on long petioles with sharp teeth along the edges, the stem leaves are trifoliate, sessile.
The velvety flowers of this variety are up to 4 cm in diameter, red, yellow, dark purple or pink, forming a loose racemose or corymbose inflorescence. Known varieties:
. Cinquefoil "Master Floris"- Abundantly and long-blooming cinquefoil with simple large yellowish flowers.
. Cinquefoil "Yellow Queen"- Potentilla up to 30 cm tall with yellow shiny flowers.
. Cinquefoil "Vulcan"- terry cinquefoil of bright red color.
In addition to the described types of herbaceous cinquefoils, two-flowered, golden, long-leaved, shaggy, Krantz, deceptive, tansy, dark blood-red, silver-leaved, Tonga, three-toothed, shiny, stemless, snow-white, arctic and others have become widespread.
Potentilla yellow or Kuril tea
Among the shrub species, Kuril cinquefoil, also known as yellow cinquefoil, also known as Kuril tea, or five-leaved flower (Pentaphylloides fruticosa), is grown in cultivation. In the specialized literature, this species was classified as a cinquefoil, but recently it has been separated into a separate genus - Kuril tea, Dasiphora (Dasys - densely hairy, phoros - bearing). This genus includes ten species, on the basis of which many cultivated garden forms and varieties have been bred, which are honey plants and are often used by designers to create picturesque hedges.
Daurian cinquefoil (Pentaphylloides davurica)
a shrub reaching a height of 60 cm with spaced bare shoots, five-parted, almost leathery leaves, shiny on the upper side and bluish on the lower side. White flowers up to 2.5 cm in diameter, most often solitary, but sometimes forming few-flowered umbrella-shaped inflorescences, they bloom for more than three months.
Shrub cinquefoil
(Pentaphylloides fruticosa)
In nature, it has a vast habitat, encompassing forest and forest-steppe Western Europe and Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This is an unusually hardy, highly branched plant up to one and a half meters high with gray or brown exfoliating bark and a dense hemispherical crown. Lanceolate, entire leaves up to three centimeters long and one wide, three-five-seven-parted, in at a young age they are soft green, then become silvery green due to pubescence. Single or collected in loose apical corymbs or racemes, golden-yellow flowers up to 2 cm in diameter bloom from mid-June to early October.
The most popular of the low-growing varieties are: Dakota Sunrise, Abbotswood, Goldstar, Jolaina, Goldfinger, Reisenberg with orange-yellow flowers and Farrer's White and Rhodocalyx with white flowers.
Tall, winter-hardy shrubs over a meter high are represented by the Elizabeth and Katherine Dykes varieties with yellow flowers.
Winter-hardy varieties with silver-gray leaves: Darts Golddigger, Goldterppich, Bisi.
Compact, low varieties that require shelter for the winter: Klondike, Kobold with yellow flowers, Parvifolia, Red Ice, Red Robbin with copper-yellow flowers, Sunset with yellow-orange to brick-red flowers, Eastleigh Cream with creamy white flowers and Daydown, Royal Flash, Pretty Polly and Blink with pink flowers.
In addition to the described species of shrubby cinquefoils, the Manchurian, small-leaved, Friedrichsen and dry-flowered five-leafed plants are of undoubted interest, the capabilities of which have not yet been sufficiently studied by breeders.
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