Shrub Potentilla - what it looks like, types and varieties

Shrub Potentilla (Kuril tea) is a medicinal and ornamental plant of the Rose family. The botanical name is daziphora, or shrub potentilla, another common name is shrub five-leafed. In various editions of the botanical classification, the genus of the species is disputed. In Russia, this species is ranked among the genus Pentaphylloides.

Shrub cinquefoil

The culture has been known in the world gardening art for more than 300 years. Below in more detail about the types of Potentilla, and how this plant can be useful in the garden.

Origin and appearance

The natural habitat of dazifora is the entire northern hemisphere. However, the areas of its distribution with the differentiation of the climate were divided by territories with arid and hot climates. Currently, the wild variety can be found in the mountainous terrain of Eastern Siberia and the Far East, the Caucasus, Mongolia, China, Japan, and the northern United States.

What does the cinquefoil flower look like?

For your information! American and European breeders have created many hybrid forms of Potentilla with a variety of flower colors, heights and the degree of spreading of the bushes.

The variety most commonly found in nature is yellow cinquefoil, which is a shrub that varies widely in height - from 10 to 150 cm. Branches can have a vertical or almost horizontal growth pattern. The bark on the trunk and old branches exfoliates, it is brownish-gray or red-brown, young branches 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-hairy 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 collected in groups of 2 to 7 pieces, have five whole petals. The middle of the flower is fluffy due to the large number of stamens (30 or more). Due to the large number of shoots, the bushes look abundantly flowering.

Note! Fruits in the form of small brown achene berries can stay on the bush for a long time.

Flowering duration

An almost unique in nature positive property of Cinquefoil as an ornamental plant is long, abundant flowering. In the conditions of the Central Region, the growing season 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 formed on them.

The first flowers of the five-leafed bush can be seen in the second half of June. Duration of flowering is 2.5-4 months.

Nepalese and Mongolian traditional medicine widely uses dazifora in the form of decoctions and infusions for the treatment of diseases of the stomach and intestines.The extract was found to normalize the emotional state, improve muscle tone, cause anti-inflammatory, hemostatic and diuretic effects.

For your information! Kuril tea has the ability to increase 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.

The use of shrub Potentilla in landscape design

Due to the variety of varieties with different patterns of shoot growth and color of flowers, the cinquefoil shrub is used in landscape design in the form of the following elements:

Potentilla hedge

solo (main) component of the landscape;
undersized and herbaceous forms - a good ground cover crop in open slopes;
curb plant;
hedge;
alpine slide and rockery.

Rockery with Potentilla

Types and varieties of shrub Potentilla and their description

Shrub cinquefoil yellow, white, pink

The world collection of five-leafed varieties includes more than 130 species of bush, tree-like and herbaceous forms with simple and double flowers. Firms engaged in the cultivation of ornamental plants offer a wide range of Potentilla, which can be planted based on the conditions of a particular garden plot. Below is a description of the most common varieties.

Cinquefoil yellow Goldfinger

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, with an average diameter of 5 cm. The leaves are dark green, expressive. Shoot and bud formation is increased with moderate vigor. Abundant bloom from June to October. High frost resistance, winters in all regions without shelter.

Goldfinger

Pink Cinquefoil Pink Queen

Highly decorative cinquefoil pink Queen (Queen) 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, resembling a rose hip. The shape of the bushes is spherical or cushion-shaped. Plant height does not exceed 80 cm, diameter 1.5 m. The variety blooms from June to September, high frost resistance.

Note! Exactly the same variety as Pink Princess, but it blooms one decade earlier.

Pink Queen

Red cinquefoil Red Ace

The aesthetic creeping red cinquefoil Red Ace is used in the plots as a ground cover plant with creeping shoots. The height of the bush is from 50 to 65 cm, diameter is 120 cm. Light green leaves are in good harmony with the bright orange-red color of numerous flowers with a diameter of 3.5 cm. In summer, the flowers may become lighter. In the center of the flower are yellow stamens.

Red Ace

Cinquefoil Daydown

Variety with soft orange flowers of ultra early flowering. The height of the bushes is up to 70 cm, the diameter is 1.2 m. The orange cinquefoil often appears in landscape groups as the main element of the composition. These plants are very valuable and always attract admiring glances.

Daydown

Hybrid cinquefoil

When crossing artificially bred forms, a hybrid cinquefoil was obtained with an unusual color of flowers, extremely slow growth and other positive qualities. This is the Goldteppitch hybrid. It is descended from the Elizabeth and Jackman varieties. Differs in early onset of flowering in May, large bright yellow flowers from 4 cm, silvery-gray leaves, restrained vigor. Plant height does not exceed 70 cm, crown diameter 1 m.

Important! Interesting are the white forms of Shrub Potentilla. They can have yellow anthers (dwarf variety Manchu) or red (variety Veitchii). Low-rise plants with white flowers are discreet, and therefore are ideal for creating Japanese rocky gardens with a discreet range of shades.

White bloodroot

Cinquefoil large-flowered

Varieties and hybrids with a flower diameter above 3 cm are large-flowered varieties. These include:

Goldstar - flowers 4-5 cm;
Darts Golddigger - 5 cm;
Klondike - 4 cm;
Snowbird - 5 cm;
Elizabeth - 4 cm.

It is not difficult to grow these flowers, they are unpretentious and frost-resistant.

Transplanting shrub Potentilla into 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

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The quinfoil loves stony, drained soil that is rich in organic matter.

Important! Shrub cinquefoil prefers soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction of the environment and does not tolerate alkaline soils.

If the soil on the site is sandy, you should add clay, fertile loamy soil and peat. Such areas allow water to pass through well, and a drainage device is not needed here. On heavy clay soils, on the contrary, it is necessary to add sand and organic matter.

Planting process

Planting pits 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 of up to 25 cm from pebbles, expanded clay, broken brick. Loose garden soil, humus, peat are poured on top. Clay or sand if necessary. All components are thoroughly mixed.

The plant is freed from the container, placed with a lump of earth in a hole so that the root collar is at ground level, and covered with soil mixture. When the roots are completely covered with soil, they are additionally compacted, and then watered with 10-12 liters of water.

Choosing the best place

In regions with cool summers, Potentilla can be grown in the sun. In hot climates, it is best to plant it in partial shade. On an alpine slide, the five-leafed leaf will feel good in the middle and lower tier, provided there is a good drainage of moisture.

Note! Low-growing varieties can be grown on non-eroded slopes as cover and protective plants.

How to plant shrub cinquefoil

To create low borders, cinquefoil is planted at a distance of 40-60 cm from each other. When planting higher hedges, a planting scheme is used with a distance of 60-80 cm between plants. In compositions with other plants, the cinquefoil is planted so as not to overlap it with the crowns of other trees and shrubs, but leave 15-20 cm intervals between them to emphasize the expressive spherical shape of the cinquefoil.

Reproduction of shrub Potentilla

It is easiest to carry out vegetative propagation of the bushes you like. To do this, use the methods of grafting or dividing the bush.

Propagation by cuttings

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Green cuttings are cut in early summer and rooted in wet sand. For this, shoots 10-12 cm long are enough; they can be placed under a plastic bag to retain moisture. From time to time, the bag needs to be removed for airing.

Dividing the bush

In one place, the cinquefoil can grow for five or more years, therefore, it is inappropriate 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 rate of new plants is ensured, and with cuttings about 60%.

Features of care and cultivation in the open field

Many gardeners are interested in how to properly care for Potentilla. The main activity for caring for her is regular watering. If the air humidity is below 50%, then the plants are noticeably inhibited.

For your information! There are no drought-resistant varieties of this crop.

Practical tips for caring for and growing a plant

To prevent drying out of the soil, the trunks should be kept under constant mulch from a layer of peat or crushed bark in a layer of 8-10 cm. In rockeries and on alpine hills, you can cover the soil with pebbles. To increase the humidity of the air in the garden, they equip ponds and pools.

Watering mode

Cinquefoil can be watered with 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 water supply through droppers in a volume of 2-3 liters per hour. In a humid climate, the plant does not need watering.

Fertilization and feeding

If the soil is not very fertile, then during planting and in the process of caring for the cinquefoil, mineral fertilizers are applied with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium 50-60 g per bush. You can add fractionally 2-3 times during the summer, 20-30 g, after dissolving in a bucket of water.

Features of care during flowering

Sometimes, with abundant flowering, it may be necessary to remove faded petals from under a hedge or a single bush. The petals fall off so that the twigs themselves remain quite aesthetic and do not require special care.

Cinquefoil after flowering

At the end of the season, small dark achenes can be seen at the ends of the branches.

For your information! If desired, the ends of the shoots can be trimmed with garden shears to get rid of the achenes. In spring, the bushes will begin to branch actively and will look thicker with abundant flowering.

Wintering

All varieties of cinquefoil have high winter hardiness. Plants do not need a special shelter for the winter. In rare cases, young weak bushes can be insulated with spruce branches.

Possible diseases and pests

If rusty spots are noticed on the leaves, this is a lesion with a fungal disease called rust. It is easy to deal with it by treating the bushes with fast preparations or polishers. Young leaves can be food for aphids or ticks. In this case, spraying with fufanon is effective.

Shrub cinquefoil in its beauty and decorativeness will find application in any garden. Growing and caring for cinquefoil will not be burdensome. The main thing is to figure out how to plant, when the cinquefoil blooms and which variety is better to plant.