Potentilla simplex - Old Field Cinquefoil

Family:	Rosaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.1
Width:	0.5
Synonyms:
Range:	Eastern and Central N. America - Nova Scotia to North Carolina, Alabama, Minnesota and Missouri.

Potentilla simplex (Old Field Cinquefoil) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.1m and a width of 0.5m . It has a hardness rating of 3.
Old Field Cinquefoil will flower in December to February. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Old Field 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
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Old Field Cinquefoil prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Old Field Cinquefoil can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Locally common in dry open woods, prairie hillsides, roadsides, old fields and waste places[228].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[1]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil[200]. Plants grown in rich soils produce more foliage at the expense of flowering[200]. Hardy to about -25°c[200]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The plant is mildly astringent and antiseptic[207]. A decoction is used as a gargle for loose teeth and spongy gums[207, 257]. An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of dysentery[257].

• Antiseptic - Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
• 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

no recorded cultivars

References

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

Flora of the Great Plains.
McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M.
Author: McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M.
Rating:
Publisher : A useful source of habitats.
Date of Publication : 1986

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Author: Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Date of Publication : 1970

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