Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil, Erect cinquefoil
Potentilla recta
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Potentilla recta is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July. 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 and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
More or less naturalized in waste or grassy places in Britain.
C. and S. Europe to W. Asia. More or less naturalized in Britain. Casual in Eastern N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. The unripe fruit is almost as pleasant as the fully ripe fruit.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The whole plant is astringent. A poultice of the pounded leaves and stems has been applied to open sores and wounds.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Other
Rating: 0
How it is grown
Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade. Prefers an acid soil. Plants produce more foliage but flower less freely when grown in a rich soil. Hardy to about -25°c. There is at least one named variety selected for its ornamental value. 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: Meadow; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist