Potentilla recta - Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil

Family:	Rosaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	C. and S. Europe to W. Asia. More or less naturalized in Britain. Casual in Eastern N. America.

Potentilla recta (Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 4and is vunerable to frost.
Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil will flower in December to January. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

More or less naturalized in waste or grassy places in Britain[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[1]. Prefers an acid soil[200]. Plants produce more foliage but flower less freely when grown in a rich soil[200]. Hardy to about -25°c[200]. There is at least one named variety selected for its ornamental value[200]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Fruit - raw or cooked[207]. The unripe fruit is almost as pleasant as the fully ripe fruit[207].

• Fruit -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The whole plant is astringent[257]. A poultice of the pounded leaves and stems has been applied to open sores and wounds[257].

• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

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 their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

'' - There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

DISCLAIMER: All information published on AussieGardening.com.au is for entertainment purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information contained here with other sources. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by doctors or dietary advice by dieticians. AussieGardening.com.au will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or other damages arising therefrom.