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Common Name: Rock Cinquefoil

General Information

Potentilla rupestris is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.45 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, W. and C. Asia.

Habitat

Basic rocks[] and woody slopes in mountains[]. Dry sunny rocky slopes in the mountains[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Insects, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
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[]. Succeeds in dry soils in the wild[].
Hardy to about -25°c[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a tea[, , , ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

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 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.