Herb: Chinese Cinquefoil


Latin name: Potentilla chinensis


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Chinese Cinquefoil:

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

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
May to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Sandy sunny places, especially along the banks of rivers, C. and S. Japan. Meadows on mountain slopes, grassland, ravines, forest edge, thickets or sparse forest, 400-3200 metres.

Edible parts of Chinese Cinquefoil:

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

Propagation of the herb:

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 of Chinese Cinquefoil:

Sandy sunny places, especially along the banks of rivers, C. and S. Japan. Meadows on mountain slopes, grassland, ravines, forest edge, thickets or sparse forest, 400-3200 metres.

Known hazards of Potentilla chinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.