Practical
Plants

Potentilla chinensis

Chinese Cinquefoil

a perennial member of the Potentilla genus in the family Rosaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.6 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young shoots and leaves - cooked. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[2].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant is rich in tannins[7]. It is astringent and is used in the treatment of diarrhoea[4]. It is also emmenagogue and febrifuge[4]. It is used in Korea to treat fevers and as a women's tonic[7]. The plant has antitumour activity[7].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Febrifuge

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria.
Habitat
Sandy sunny places, especially along the banks of rivers, C. and S. Japan[8]. Meadows on mountain slopes, grassland, ravines, forest edge, thickets or sparse forest; 400-3200 metres[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a well-drained loam, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating shade[1]. Prefers an alkaline soil but tolerates a slightly acid soil[3]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[5].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

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  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  4. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2

  5. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

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  6. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

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  7. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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