- Cinquefoil: flower, origin and properties
- Planting and care
- Fighting cinquefoil in the lawn?
- Harvest, effect and use of cinquefoil
- Is cinquefoil edible or poisonous?
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Cinquefoil has many properties that make it a valuable plant for our gardens. However, it can also appear as an unpopular weed in lawns.
It's a bit inconspicuous, but we often come across cinquefoil (Potentilla anserina). There is more to the plant than meets the eye at first glance. The medicinal plant is easy to care for and can grow in many locations. Here we show how to plant the cinquefoil and use it in the kitchen.
Cinquefoil: flower, origin and properties
The cinquefoil (Potentilla anserina) is one of our native wild herbs and is widespread in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere. You can often find the rose family (Rosaceae) in our meadows, on the banks of lakes or along the way. The perennial, herbaceous plant grows with its long runners, the so-called stolons, creeping over the ground. Accordingly, it does not grow particularly high and only reaches heights of between 5 and 15 cm. Rosettes of leaves are repeatedly formed on the reddish shoots and root in the ground. The leaves are pinnate and very characteristic due to their finely hairy, silvery underside. The plant therefore also has other names such as silver leaf, anserine or gander.
The flowering period for cinquefoil begins in May. The fivefold, yellow flowers can be seen into September. Also worth mentioning is the particular step and cut tolerance as well as the s alt tolerance of the cinquefoil, which is why it can grow well on roadsides, for example. This, together with its tolerance for waterlogging, makes it an assertive plant in locations that are problematic for many other plants.
Tip: Since there are many subspecies of cinquefoil, it is sometimes assigned to the genus Argentina and so on for a better overview distinguished from other cinquefoils. It is therefore also known under the name Argentina anserina.
Planting and care
You can often find Potentilla anserina in the lawn. You can also plant the cinquefoil, as it is ideal as a walkable ground cover in the bed. It is ideal for wet, compacted or periodically damp surfaces. The location should be semi-sunny or sunny, the substrate should be rich in nutrients, moist and dense. The cinquefoil is an indicator of waterlogging, because it mainly grows on permanently moist soil. Clay-rich loamy soils are preferred. On the other hand, very permeable substrates are rather unsuitable, but can be adjusted by incorporating a lot of powdered clay. The best way to prepare soil with poor nutrients is to work slow-release fertilizer into the soil. For example, our Plantura organic universal fertilizer is suitable for cinquefoil, because it provides all the nutrients for the plant and lasts a long time. Due to its high proportion of organic ingredients, soil life is also stimulated. Top-up fertilization is only necessary when the leaves of the cinquefoil turn pale or when the plant is growing in a pot.
As light germinators, the seeds of the cinquefoil should only be a centimeter deep in the soil when sowing. Potentilla anserina can either be sown outdoors in autumn or grown on the windowsill between January and March. The soil should be kept evenly moist. Seedlings should appear after 10 to 21 days, which you can then plant outside from mid-May. Alternatively, you can buy ready-made young plants. In addition, cinquefoil, a common lawn weed, may simply be found in the vicinity.
In summer you should water the cinquefoil abundantly, because the plant prefers a moist substrate. Even if waterlogging occurs, this is not a problem for the cinquefoil. Potentilla anserina can also tolerate three or four days of dry weather without problems.
Tip: Cinquefoil got its name mainly because it tolerates high levels of nitrogen. It is particularly common on goose pastures, where there is a lot of nitrogen available through their droppings.
Fighting cinquefoil in the lawn?
Cinquefoil is often, but not always, found in the lawn. But what kind of soil does cinquefoil grow on? The plant is often found on compacted substrates that are damp and sometimes waterlogged. Many other plants, and wholeespecially the lawn, cannot cope with these conditions. The goose finger chew can thus spread. Potentilla anserina also tolerates saline soils.
Since Potentilla anserina with its yellow flowers is a pretty splash of color in the lawn, as a forage plant for bees serves and is even used in medicine, there is actually no reason to fight the cinquefoil in the lawn. It is also sturdy, which is why stepping on the lawn regularly is not a problem for the plant.
If you don't want to live with cinquefoil in your garden, you should dig up the plant and its roots. You can then repair the resulting gaps with our Plantura lawn repair, for example. This prevents the cinquefoil from spreading again and makes the lawn look nice and lush again. Alternatively, you can make the soil unattractive to the plant. This can be done, for example, by aerating. The soil is loosened and aerated, which deprives the cinquefoil of its locational advantage.
Harvest, effect and use of cinquefoil
All parts of the cinquefoil plant are used in the kitchen, but the root is the tastiest. For example, you can cut them into small pieces and fry them and then use them in a similar way to parsnips, which also have a similar taste to cinquefoil. The leaves taste rather sour, but can be used just as well, for example in soups and salads. Ingredients in the leaves such as flavonoids and tannins help with digestive problems and give the cinquefoil its healing effect. A cinquefoil tea is used, for example, for diarrhea or stomach pain. For this you need about a teaspoon of dried leaves, which you let steep in hot water for ten to twelve minutes.
To harvest the cinquefoil leaves, the time before flowering between May and August is ideal. The roots are harvested a little later, in September.
Is cinquefoil edible or poisonous?
As described above, cinquefoil is edible and can have a positive effect on digestion. Cinquefoil is not poisonous to humans or animals such as dogs, cats or horses. Nevertheless, as with all medicinal plants, the weed should not be consumed permanently and in large quantities,otherwise side effects such as stomach pains can occur when consuming cinquefoil. People with irritable stomachs should avoid cinquefoil.
The upright cinquefoil, also known as tormentil or tormentil, can easily be confused with the cinquefoil. The plants are closely related and the flowers in particular look very similar. Learn how to harvest, plant and care for tormentil in our article.