The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Shrubby Cinquefoil

General Information

Potentilla fruticosa is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 1.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to the Pyrenees, N. and C. Asia to Japan.

Habitat

Damp rocky ground, usually on limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.20 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees, Flies
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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[]. Prefers a light well-drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
A very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -25°c[].
A very ornamental shrub[], there are many named varieties[].
Polymorphic[]. A good bee plant[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].
Dislikes growing under trees, especially Juglans species[].
Plants are usually dioecious but hermaphrodite forms are also known[]. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

A tea is made from the dried leaves[, , , , , ]. Used as a substitute for China tea, especially by people living at high elevations in the Himalayas[].

Medicinal

The leaves are astringent[].
The juice of the root is used in the treatment of indigestion[].

Other Uses

Can be grown as a medium size informal hedge[, ]. Trim in spring[].
Some forms, notably 'Longacre', 'Elizabeth' and 'Gold Drop' have a dense spreading habit and make good ground cover plants[].
A useful plant for controlling soil erosion[].
The dry, flaky bark is used as a tinder for friction fires[, ]. (fires started by rubbing 2 pieces of wood together very fast).
The powdered plant is used as an incense[].
The leaves are used as a packing material in pillows[].

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 at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 3 - 5cm with a heel, mid summer in a frame. Pot up in the autumn if possible and overwinter in a cold frame[].
Softwood cuttings taken in the early summer[, ]. Easy.