Potentilla fragarioides
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Potentilla fragarioides is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from July to September. 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): 0.3
Where it is found
Sunny slopes and waste ground in lowland and mountains all over Japan. Bank of field, ditches, meadows, thickets and thinned forest at elevations of 350 - 2400 metres in northern China.
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Siberia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Leaf stem - boiled.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The leaves are astringent. The compound D-catechin has been isolated from the plant and is used in cases of gynaecological bleeding.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
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:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist