Nepal Cinquefoil, Cinquefoil
Potentilla nepalensis
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Pink, Red. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Irregular or sprawling.
Potentilla nepalensis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Grazing grounds and cultivated areas, 2100 - 2700 metres from Pakistan to C. Nepal.
E. Asia - W. Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - cooked. Starchy.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The root is depurative. The ashes are mixed with oil and applied to burns.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Alpine garden, Border, Container, Ground cover, Rock garden, Specimen. A very tolerant and easily grown plant, surviving considerable neglect. It grows best in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Suitable for cut flowers.
Propagating it: 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.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 5-10
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist