Shrubby cinquefoil (Kuril tea) is a medicinal and ornamental plant of the Pink family. The botanical name of the dasiphor, or potentilla shrubby, another common name is the five-leaved shrub. In various editions of the botanical classification, the genus of the species is disputed. In Russia, this species is considered to be a genus of five-leafed leaves (Pentaphylloides).
Shrubby cinquefoil
In the world of landscape gardening, culture has been known for over 300 years. Below in more detail about the types of cinquefoil, and how this plant in the garden can be useful.
Origin and appearance
The natural habitat of dazyphors is the entire northern hemisphere. However, the areas of its distribution as the climate differentiated were divided by territories with an arid and hot climate. Currently, the wild species can be found in the mountainous terrain of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, the Caucasus, Mongolia, China, Japan and the north of the United States.
What does a potentilla flower look like?
For your information! American and European breeders have created many hybrid forms of cinquefoil with a diverse color of flowers, the height and degree of spreading of the bushes.
The variety most often found in nature is yellow cinquefoil, which is a shrub that varies widely in height - from 10 to 150 cm. The branches can have a vertical or almost horizontal growth pattern. The bark on the stem and old branches exfoliates, it is brownish-gray or red-brown, young twigs are covered with hairs in the form of a pile. Leaves up to 3 cm long can be light or dark green, they are fleecy and collected in the form of complex feathers of 3-5 pcs.
Potentilla flowers are formed at the ends of the shoots of the current year, single or grouped in groups of 2 to 7, have five whole petals. The middle of the flower is fluffy due to the large number of stamens (30 or more). Due to the numerous shoots, the bushes look plentifully flowering.
Note! Fruits in the form of small brown berry seeds can be on the bush for a long time.
Flowering time
Almost unique in nature, the positive property of Potentilla as an ornamental plant is continuous, plentiful flowering. In the conditions of the Central region, vegetation begins in the second decade of April. The growth of young shoots is activated in mid-May and continues until September. All this time, buds are forming on them.
The first flowers of the five-leaf bush can be seen in the second half of June. The duration of flowering is 2.5-4 months.
Nepalese and Mongolian traditional medicine widely uses dasiforum in the form of decoctions and infusions for the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines. The property of the extract was found to normalize the emotional state, improve muscle tone, cause anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and diuretic effect.
For your information! Kuril tea has the property of enhancing the body's immunity; it is not without reason that it is also called "mighty." However, before using it, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications.
Using shrubby cinquefoil in landscaping
Due to the variety of varieties with different nature of shoot growth and color of flowers, shrub cinquefoil is used in landscape design in the form of the following elements:
Potentilla hedge
- solo (main) component of the landscape;
- undersized and grassy forms - a good ground cover culture in open slope spaces;
- border plant;
- hedge;
- Alpine slide and rockery.
Rockery with cinquefoil
Types and varieties of shrubby cinquefoil and their description
The world collection of five-leaf varieties includes more than 130 items of bush, tree and grass forms with simple and double flowers. Firms involved in the cultivation of ornamental plants offer a wide range of potentilla, which can be planted based on the conditions of a particular garden site. Below is a description of the most common varieties.
Yellowweed Goldfinger
A semi-spreading shrub 1-1.5 m high. The shape of the bushes is spherical, the diameter of the plants is up to 1.5 m. The color of the flowers is intense, yellow, the average diameter is 5 cm. The leaves are dark green, expressive. The formation of shoots and buds is increased with moderate growth. Flowering is plentiful from June to October. Frost resistance is high, winters in all regions without shelter.
Goldfinger
Pink cinquefoil Pink Queen
The highly decorative pink Quin (Queen) cinquefoil for creating live borders, planting in rockeries and rock gardens can serve as the central element of the flower bed. The flowers are pale pink with a yellow center, resemble a wild rose. The shape of the bushes is spherical or pillow-shaped. Plant height does not exceed 80 cm, diameter 1.5 m. The variety blooms from June to September, frost resistance is high.
Note! Exactly the same sort of Pink Princess, but it blooms one decade earlier.
Pink queen
Cinquefoil Red Ace
Aesthetic creeping cinquefoil Red Ace is used on sites as a groundcover with creeping shoots. The height of the bush is from 50 to 65 cm, diameter 120 cm. The leaves are light green in good harmony with the bright orange-red color of numerous flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm. In summer, flowers can become lighter. In the center of the flower are yellow stamens.
Red ace
Bloodroot Daydaun
A variety with delicately orange flowers of ultra early flowering. The height of the bushes is up to 70 cm, the diameter is 1.2 m. Orange cinquefoil often appears in landscape groups as the main element of the composition. These plants are very valuable and invariably attract admirable looks.
Daydown
The cinquefoil is hybrid
When crossing artificially derived forms, the hybrid cinquefoil turned out to have an unusual color of flowers, exceptionally slow growth and other positive qualities. Such is the Goldtepich hybrid. It came from the varieties Elizabeth and Jackman. It differs by the early onset of flowering in May, large bright yellow flowers from 4 cm, silver-gray leaves, restrained growth power. Plant height does not exceed 70 cm, crown diameter 1 m.
Important! Interesting are the white forms of shrubby cinquefoil. They can have anthers yellow (dwarf variety Manchu) or red (variety Veitchia). Low plants with white flowers are discreet, and therefore they are ideal for creating Japanese rocky gardens with a restrained range of shades.
White bloodroot
Large potentilla
Varieties and hybrids with flower diameters above 3 cm are large-flowered varieties. They include:
- Goldstar - flowers 4-5 cm;
- Darts Golddigger - 5 cm;
- Klondike - 4 cm;
- Snowbird - 5 cm;
- Elizabeth - 4 cm.
It is easy to grow these flowers, they are unpretentious and frost-resistant.
Transplanting shrubby cinquefoil into the open ground after purchase
It is recommended to purchase plants in containers with a closed root system. Before buying, you should carefully study the information about the variety and age of the seedling. The best time to plant potentilla is spring. During this period, there is no risk of freezing thin roots and young shoots.
Site Selection and Soil
The quintuple leaf loves stony, drained soil rich in organic matter.
Important! Shrubby cinquefoil prefers soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction and does not tolerate alkaline soils.
If the soil on the site is sandy, add clay, fertile loamy soil and peat. Such areas pass water well, and a drainage device is not needed here. On heavy clay soils, on the contrary, the introduction of sand and organic matter is necessary.
Landing process
Pits for planting are prepared in the fall. The depth of the pit should be 60-70 cm, it is calculated based on the volume of the root system of the plant in adulthood. The bottom of the pit is covered with a drainage layer up to 25 cm from pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick. Loose garden soil, humus, peat are poured on top. If necessary, clay or sand. All components are thoroughly mixed.
The plant is freed from the container, with a lump of earth put in a pit so that the root neck is at ground level, and covered with soil mixture. When the roots are completely covered with soil, they are additionally tamped, and then 10-12 liters of water are watered.
Choosing the best place
In regions with cool summers, potentilla can be grown in the sun. In a hot climate, it is better to plant it in partial shade. On an alpine hill, a five-leafed leaf will feel good in the middle and lower tier, provided there is good moisture flow.
Note! Low-growing varieties can be grown on indelible slopes as integumentary and protective plants.
How to plant shrubby cinquefoil
To create low borders, the cinquefoil is planted at a distance of 40-60 cm from each other. When planting higher hedges, a planting scheme with a distance of 60-80 cm between plants is used. In compositions with other plants, a five-leafed tree is planted so as not to overlap it with the crowns of other trees and shrubs, but to leave 15-20 cm gaps between them to emphasize the expressive spherical shape of the cinquefoil.
Propagation of shrubby cinquefoil
The easiest way to conduct vegetative propagation of your favorite bushes. To do this, use the methods of grafting or dividing the bush.
Propagation by cuttings
Green cuttings are cut in early summer and rooted in wet sand. For this, 10-12 cm long stretches of shoot are enough; they can be placed under a plastic bag to preserve moisture. From time to time, the package must be removed for ventilation.
Bush division
In one place, the cinquefoil can grow for five or more years, so it is not advisable to divide the bush earlier than five years after planting. The bush is dug up and divided into 2-3 parts, trying to leave a good rhizome for each lobe.
Note! When propagating by dividing the bush, 100% survival of new plants is provided, and when grafting, about 60%.
Features of care and cultivation in the open ground
Many gardeners are interested in how to properly care for the potentilla. The main measure for caring for her is regular watering. If the air humidity is below 50%, then the plants are markedly oppressed.
For your information! There are no drought tolerant varieties of this crop.
Practical tips for the care and cultivation of plants
To prevent drying out of the soil, trunks should be kept under a constant mulch from a layer of peat or crushed bark with a layer of 8-10 cm. Pebbles can be covered in rockeries and on alpine slides. To increase the humidity in the garden, ponds and pools are equipped.
Watering mode
The cinquefoil can be watered from a fine sprinkler 1-2 times a week. The plant responds well to drip irrigation with an interval of 2-3 days. The system is turned on for 5-6 hours with a supply of water through droppers in a volume of 2-3 liters in one hour. In a humid climate, the plant does not need watering.
Fertilizer and fertilizing
If the soil is slightly fertile, then when planting and in the process of caring for the cinquefoil, mineral fertilizers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are added 50-60 g per bush. You can make fractional 2-3 times during the summer of 20-30 g, previously dissolved in a bucket of water.
Features of care during the flowering period
Sometimes, with abundant flowering, it may be necessary to remove faded petals from a hedge or a single bush. Petals fall so that the branches themselves remain completely aesthetic and do not require special care.
Bloodroot after flowering
At the end of the season, small dark achenes can be seen at the ends of the twigs.
For your information! If desired, the ends of the shoots can be trimmed with garden shears and thus get rid of achenes. In spring, the bushes will begin to branch actively and will look denser with abundant flowering.
Wintering
All varieties of five-leafed have high winter hardiness. Plants do not need special shelter for the winter. In rare cases, young weak bushes can be insulated with spruce spruce branches.
Possible diseases and pests
If rusty spots are noticed on leaves, this is a lesion of a fungal disease called rust. It is easy to deal with it by treating the bushes with scor or polish preparations. Young leaves can be food for aphids or ticks. In this case, spraying with Fufanon is effective.
Shrubby cinquefoil in its beauty and decorativeness will find application in any garden. Growing and caring for shrubby cinquefoil will not be burdensome. The main thing is to figure out how to plant when the cinquefoil blooms and which variety is best planted.
