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Natural
History Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) Richard Hebda INDEX for Native Plants This text was originally published in Coastal Grower (formerly The Island Grower) in Victoria, British Columbia. For subscription information, please call Susanne Steele at the Coastal Grower at 250-478-0825. The extreme climate of our high altitudes and northern latitudes pose a real challenge to native plant species. The hardy native, shrubby cinquefoil, of the Rose Family (Rosaceae), not only meets these challenges in British Columbia, but around the northern hemisphere. The variation throughout the range has supplied gardeners with a wide array of adaptable garden plants too. Shrubby cinquefoil forms a tough many-stemmed bush, varying in some forms from scarcely 15 cm (6") high to 1.5 metres (60") high. It is the only shrubby species among the cinquefoils. Young branches have a silky texture, but with age they turn brown and flaky. Many small compound leaves with three to seven leaflets, clothe the branches. The common name, cinquefoil, of French derivation, refers to the five-parted leaves of many cinquefoils. The small leaflets, like the young twigs, are covered in silky hairs. These hairs cut down the wind speed at the leaf surface and insulate the leaves from cold drying winds. Bright yellow flowers appear form late spring well into summer depending on the local climate. The medium-sized blooms (2.0-2.5 cm across) have five broadly rounded petals which are held in a five-parted silky cup of sepals. Inside the petals, about 30 stamens ring a low rough dome in the centre. Tiny pistils, each a complete female reproductive structure, crowd the central zone. The petal colour of horticultural forms varies from nearly white to orange red. There are even pink forms. Shrubby cinquefoil grows in many open settings in our province. You could find it in high elevation alpine tundra, mountain meadows and northern peat bogs. It even colonizes disturbed sites in some areas. You should expect this plant throughout the province although it is not common along the coast. The continental range includes all of Canada, south along the mountains to California and New Mexico and eastward to the Atlantic coast. It grows throughout northern latitudes and high elevations of Europe and Asia. Shrubby cinquefoils are widely used garden shrubs, particularly because of their hardiness and colourful display. Potted plants are available in almost every nursery and garden centre, so there is no need to try to raise them from seed, or reason for taking them from the wild. However, the seeds though produced sparingly, germinate well. Shrubby cinquefoil can be increased from softwood cuttings taken and rooted in the summer. Late fall and early spring are the best time to buy and plant shrubby cinquefoils. Put them in the ground to the same depth as they grew in the pot. Water them in well and mulch around the stem. Once settled in, the shrubs need little or no care. Suitable garden settings include the shrub border, a gently sloping bank, and rock gardens. In a long bed at the Native Plant Garden of the Royal British Columbia Museum, shrubby cinquefoils provide the transition from pavement to a line of yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). Shrubby cinquefoils are widely used in large landscape plantings. Recently the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden introduced a stunning compact variety called "Yellow Gem" which grows to only 40 cm (16") high. They recommend it for massing along the front of shrub borders and on banks. Shrubby cinquefoil had no specific uses for British Columbia's Native People. In adjacent Alberta, Blackfoot used the dry flaky bark for tinder when starting friction fires. Shrubby cinquefoil grows abundantly in prairie ranch lands, and is considered to be an indicator of over-grazing. The Latin word potens, meaning power, supplied the basis of the technical name. Apparently some species of cinquefoils were strong medicines. This plant's shrubby form gave rise to the species name fruticosa, meaning shrubby in Latin. Wherever you might travel in the colder and drier regions of the Northern Hemisphere, do not be surprised to encounter British Columbia's native shrubby cinquefoil. To learn about, and see shrubby cinquefoil, visit the gardens around the Royal British Columbia Museum or contact Richard Hebda at the Museum.
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