Cinquefoil is a flowering plant from the Pink family. It has become widespread throughout the northern hemisphere. Especially in temperate climates. You can meet the cinquefoil at the forest edges and near fresh water. Her kind is very numerous and diverse. As a result of recent classification revisions, it has increased even more. Representatives are used as raw materials for medicines, for decorating the site and in cooking. The scientific name - Potentilla - can be translated as "strong, powerful." This characterizes the ability to give vigor and energy.
Botanical characteristics
Cinquefoil is an annual or perennial plant in the form of a grassy shoot or a shrub. Rhizome superficial, lignified. The height of the vegetation is from 30 cm to 1.5 m. Shoots are erect, ascending or creeping. Upon contact with the soil, roots quickly appear in nodes. Petiole leaves of bright green or grayish-green color have a cirrus-dissected or palmate shape with fine-toothed edges.
Small flowers are concentrated at the ends of the shoots in loose paniculate, corymbose or pseudo-inflorescences. They can also grow solitary on long erect peduncles. Flowering begins in May-June. Each corolla consists of 5 free petals and a large number of short stamens with large anthers in the center. The cinquefoil flowers are bisexual, their color is very diverse and includes shades of yellow, orange, pink, white. Petals can be monophonic or two-tone.
Pollination occurs with the help of wind or insects. Fruits in the form of small dark olive nuts with a smooth or wrinkled surface ripen 3 weeks after pollination. They are grouped in 10-80 pieces in a hairy or smooth achene with dry, thin walls.
Species and decorative varieties
In total, more than 320 plant species are found in the genus cinquefoil. In culture, only a few are used.
White bloodroot. The herbaceous plant reaches a height of 8-25 cm. Its thin short stems are hidden by long ascending leaves of a five-fingered shape. Narrow foliage segments are bent along the central vein and painted in a bluish-green color. In May-June, single flowers with white wide petals appear. Later, the egg-shaped hairy seeds mature.
The cinquefoil is shrubby. The hardy frost-resistant plant spread through forests and forest-steppes from Western Europe to Central Asia. It is a dense shrub up to 150 cm high and 100 cm wide. Lignified shoots are covered with exfoliating brown and grayish bark. The leaves are divided into 3-7 segments of a lanceolate shape with solid edges. Their color changes from light green to silver due to the thick pile. Single corollas or inflorescences with golden petals open in June. The diameter of the flower is about 2 cm. Varieties:
- Abbotswood - a pillow-shaped bush up to 1 m in height with light green foliage and white racemose inflorescences;
- Goldfinger is a creeping shrub with a diameter of 1.5 m from June to the first frosts covered with large yellow flowers.
The cinquefoil is goose. A herbaceous perennial with creeping shoots up to 80 cm long grows cirrus-dissected openwork leaves. Segments with serrated edges have a smooth light green surface. On the back they are densely pubescent with a silvery pile. The length of the lobe is 2-5 cm, and the width is 1-2 cm. Single yellow flowers on pedicels 5-15 cm long appear in early summer.
The cinquefoil is erect. Perennial with a cylindrical woody rhizome grows upright branched shoots 15-50 cm long. Five-fingered foliage with wedge-shaped serrated lobes is located at their base, and triple sessile leaves grow on the stem. Single axillary flowers at the ends of the shoots are painted in a golden hue. They bloom in May and September.
The cinquefoil is silvery. Perennial grass 10-30 cm tall is characterized by dense foliage (sessile or petiolate). The back of leaves and petioles are densely covered with white or silver felt pile. The foliage is divided into 3-7 segments and has a surface swollen between the veins. In June-July, loose corymbose inflorescences with small flowers appear. Rounded petals are light yellow.
The cinquefoil is Nepalese. Herbaceous perennial 30-50 cm high. Inhabits the Himalayas and Nepal. Strongly branched erect stems are covered with palmate dark green leaves. From the end of June to August, single large (3 cm in diameter) flowers with obovate or heart-shaped petals painted in different shades of pink bloom on the tops of the shoots. Varieties:
- Roksana - salmon-orange flowers dotted with narrow dark stripes;
- Floris - the edges of the petals are coral, and at the base there is a dark crimson spot.
Breeding methods
The cinquefoil is propagated by seed or vegetatively. Seed propagation is most effective for species plants, since varietal traits are not transmitted to future generations. It is preliminary recommended to grow seedlings. To do this, at the end of March, seeds are evenly distributed in pots with sandy peat soil. They are germinated under the film at a temperature of + 18 ... + 22 ° C. With the advent of shoots, shelter is removed. Flowering seedlings occurs after 2-3 years.
Large plants can be divided into several parts. Do it in the fall, before the onset of cold weather. The bush is completely dug up and the rhizome is cut into sections so that each has 1-2 growth points. The places of cuts are sprinkled with crushed ash and, not allowing the root to dry, distribute the delenki along the new planting pits.
A good result gives the cuttings. In June-July, green shoots about 15 cm long are cut. The lower leaves are removed on them, and the cut is treated with Kornevin. Landing is carried out immediately in open ground, in a shaded place. Within 2-3 weeks, while rooting, it is recommended to cover the cuttings with a film or glass jars. Daily shelter is removed and sprayed with plants.
Since the stems independently take root in places of contact with the ground, varieties with creeping shoots are easily propagated by layering. It is enough to slightly damage the bark and sprinkle the sprout with soil. The top is left on the surface. Layering is regularly watered. The rooting process takes up to a month, after which the plant can be separated and transplanted to a new place.
Features of planting and care
Cinquefoil grows best in an open, sunny area protected from the midday sun. If the lighting is too bright, then the petals will burn out and lose attractiveness. In deep shade, shoot growth will slow down significantly, and flowering may not occur.
The soil for planting should be loose and fertile, with a slightly alkaline reaction. Loams with the addition of lime and sand are best suited. Planting pits with a depth of 0.5 m are prepared for adult plants. The distance depends on the variety and averages 50-60 cm. A layer of drainage material is laid on the bottom of the pit. The seedling is placed to the level of the root neck. After planting, the potentilla is abundantly watered and the soil is mulched with a layer of sawdust or chopped needles.
An important role for the plant is played by regular and plentiful watering. The cinquefoil does not tolerate drying out of the soil, but prolonged stagnation of water is undesirable. The irrigation fluid should be warm. You can pre-collect several buckets of water and leave them in the sun, and in the evening pour them under the bushes. In the absence of rain, half a bucket of water is poured weekly under the plants.
After watering, the soil is loosened to break the crust on the surface and improve aeration. Weeds should also be removed. The roots of the plant are shallow, so the procedure is carried out with caution.
For better development, the cinquefoil is recommended to be regularly fed. In spring and summer, a solution of potash and phosphorus mineral fertilizers is monthly applied to the soil. Sometimes they are replaced with wood ash or mullein.
The bloodroot needs a regular haircut. In spring and autumn, remove damaged shoots and thin out too thickened places. You can also periodically shape the bushes. After spring pruning, more lateral shoots will develop and flowering will be more abundant. As the buds wither, they are removed. Once every 4-5 years, anti-aging pruning is performed. To do this, simultaneously cut off up to a third of all processes. In the next 2 years, the remaining old branches will be removed.
Annuals are cut in autumn, and the soil is dug up. Perennials are characterized by good resistance to frost, therefore they do not need additional shelter for the winter. If we are talking about young seedlings, then in the first winter they are covered with lutrasil.
Plant diseases and parasites rarely bother with potentilla. In too wet a place or in contact with an infected plant, rust, powdery mildew, or spotting may develop. At the first sign of infection, it is necessary to carry out treatment with fungicides. Sick branches should be cut and destroyed. Sometimes scoops settle on the leaves. It will be easy to cope with them with the help of insecticides.
Composition and medicinal properties
Upright, goose and white cinquefoil is used as a medicine in folk and traditional medicine. All parts of the plant are suitable for preparing potions. Usually prepare a decoction, alcohol infusion or tea.
The drugs have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, facilitate the treatment of pancreatitis, stomach ulcers, urolithiasis, as well as colitis and diarrhea of an infectious origin. A decoction of cinquefoil helps with colds and cough, as it is an effective mucolytic. Also, the plant has a beneficial effect on the kidneys and has a diuretic effect. White cinquefoil is especially rich in active elements, acids, saponins, flavonoids. Alcohol tincture, even in official medicine, is recognized as an effective remedy for thyroid diseases.
Externally, the cinquefoil is used to relieve burns, heal wetting wounds and stop bleeding. With its help, get rid of fungus, stomatitis and periodontitis. Drugs effectively lower blood pressure. If for hypertensive patients this will be a big plus, then people with low blood pressure are categorically contraindicated.
Garden use
In landscape design, cinquefoil is used to create a garden in a natural style. Ground cover varieties form a thick green carpet. Shrubbery species can be used to create low green hedges, design borders and rabatka. The advantage is long flowering. Using different varieties, you can create an interesting composition with different colors of leaves and buds. Also, bushes are used in single and group plantings in the middle of the lawn. The cinquefoil can be combined with barberry, juniper, spirea, lavender.
