Potentilla simplex
Michx.
Rosaceae
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: Old Field Cinquefoil
General Information
Potentilla simplex is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.10 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
228- Title
- Flora of the Great Plains.
- Publication
-
- Author
- McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M.
- Publisher
- University Press of Kansas.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- 070060295x
- Description
- A useful source of habitats.
,
235- Title
- An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
- Publication
-
- Author
- Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-486-22642-5
- Description
- Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Range
Eastern and Central N. America - Nova Scotia to North Carolina, Alabama, Minnesota and Missouri.
Habitat
Locally common in dry open woods, prairie hillsides, roadsides, old fields and waste places[
228- Title
- Flora of the Great Plains.
- Publication
-
- Author
- McGregor. R. L. & Barkley. T. M.
- Publisher
- University Press of Kansas.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- 070060295x
- Description
- A useful source of habitats.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.10 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Plants grown in rich soils produce more foliage at the expense of flowering[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Hardy to about -25°c[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[
233- Title
- Perennial Garden Plants
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thomas. G. S.
- Publisher
- J. M. Dent & Sons, London.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0 460 86048 8
- Description
- A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is mildly astringent and antiseptic[
207- Title
- The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coffey. T.
- Publisher
- Facts on File.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-8160-2624-6
- Description
- A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
]. A decoction is used as a gargle for loose teeth and spongy gums[
207- Title
- The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Coffey. T.
- Publisher
- Facts on File.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
- 0-8160-2624-6
- Description
- A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
,
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of dysentery[
257- Title
- Native American Ethnobotany
- Publication
-
- Author
- Moerman. D.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-88192-453-9
- Description
- Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
].
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.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
