Erect cinquefoil (galangal) - description

Erect cinquefoil is often used in folk medicine. The plant helps in the treatment of various diseases, from common wounds to problems with the digestive tract. It is not difficult to grow a flower on the site, it is enough to ensure the correct watering and soil.

Description of erect cinquefoil

Cinquefoil galangal is a wild perennial plant with a height of 10 to 45 cm. The rhizome of a flower in the form of a cylinder or tuberous bears numerous roots. 1 or more stems present. The stem is straight and branched. Leaves are large, appressed-hairy on both sides. Flowers are solitary on long pedicels. The size of the bud is about 1 cm.

Other names for Potentilla are galangal and uzik

Flowers are collected in corymbose-paniculate or pseudo-umbellate inflorescences.

Cinquefoil erect galangal blooms in small meadows, in rare shrubs, forests or clearings. Prefers moist soil. Sandy, loamy or peaty soil is best suited.

In Russia, it is often found on the shores of the Barents Sea and in the forests of Western Siberia. Also common in Belarus and Ukraine.

The plant produces yellow buds

Cinquefoil in botany belongs to the Pink family. Another well-known species of this plant is silver cinquefoil.

Planting a plant

Cinquefoil narrow grows well in sunny places. When planting a plant on a site, it is necessary to choose loose and fertile soil types. In this case, the rhizome will be large and even.

Planting from seeds

A useful plant is propagated in several ways. One of the simplest and most common methods is planting seeds. Experts say that you can sow seeds in the soil in the fall. Thus, during the winter, the seeds undergo natural stratification. In March, it is enough to plant seedlings that have sprung up.

You can plant seeds in the ground in the spring. However, it is best to plant the seedlings in February and keep them under plastic. The ideal temperature for grooming is 15-19 ºC. After the seedlings have the first pair of leaves, they are sent to separate containers. Shrub cinquefoil grows slowly during the summer, and only in the fall can it be transplanted to a permanent place. In winter, young plants are covered to avoid hypothermia.

The first flowering is observed after 2 years

Planting seedlings in open ground

Cinquefoil is a galangal or narrow-eyed, which is often found in garden plots.

After the snow melts, the seedlings can be planted in open ground. The plant pits should be twice as deep and wider than the root system of the flower. The distance between adjacent bushes is maintained about 30 cm. It is imperative to use drainage, which is laid out on the bottom of the pit. For this, gravel, humus, sand or leafy earth are suitable.

Seedlings are placed in a hole so that the root collar is above ground level. The remaining space is filled with garden soil, carefully tamped and watered. For 2-3 weeks, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is always moist.

Cinquefoil is a family that includes many different species. Basically, the plant is undemanding to care for, but there are species that may differ in growing conditions. For example, the white cinquefoil prefers to grow in the shade, while the shiny variety develops on the southern sides.

How to care for erect cinquefoil

Potentilla erecta is popular with gardeners for its medicinal properties. The plant is easy to plant and grow on site. It is enough to follow the basic rules to get a useful and beautiful flower.

Watering

Cinquefoil (galangal root) needs abundant watering after planting, as well as on hot summer days. Do not allow the soil to dry out. The flower is especially sensitive to a lack of watering in the first years of growth.

Top dressing

A distinctive feature of the flower is the minimum need for fertilizers. Excess feeding harms the cinquefoil, stops growth and flowering. Use multicomponent fertilizers during the growing season.

Pruning

The botanical look requires regular haircuts. In autumn and winter, it is important to cut off bad and non-viable shoots. Pruning helps the plant gain new vigor and shoots.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction is carried out vegetatively and by seeds. The second option is less effective, since it does not guarantee the transfer of varietal traits.

Seedlings are planted in advance. At the end of March, Potentilla seeds are evenly laid out in a container with soil. Then the soil is covered and the temperature is maintained at 17-21 ° C. After the first shoots have appeared, the film can be removed.

A good result is obtained when propagated by cuttings. To do this, it is necessary to cut off green shoots in the summer and leave a length of 15 cm. The lower leaves from the shoot are cut and treated with root.

Shoots are planted immediately in open ground, protected from the sun. The first 2 weeks it is necessary to keep the cutting under the film and water it daily.

Diseases and pests

In the life cycle of Potentilla, diseases and pests are rare. Root decay due to excessive watering and poor drainage layer is considered the main problem. Due to the lack of light, fungal diseases can appear on the leaves.

What does a leaf of a plant look like when it is infected with a fungus?

Flowering period

Blooming Potentilla erect begins in mid-May and lasts until early autumn.

Preparing for winter

Young plants must be covered before wintering. Adult shrubs do not need protection, as they are frost-resistant.

Use in landscape design

Erect cinquefoil is rarely used as a landscape decoration. The plant does not have a unique appearance. Often, designers take other types for jewelry, for example, Red Ice and white cinquefoil.

Beneficial features

The use of Potentilla in medicine is widespread. Broths are used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, colitis. Oral administration helps to stop pulmonary and uterine bleeding. Rinsing is used for pathologies of the oral cavity and larynx.

Potentilla goose juice is used as a lotion for wounds. With angina and stomatitis, the broth is used to rinse the mouth.

Erect cinquefoil is an unpretentious plant from the Rosaceae family. At the moment, there are more than 500 species of this flower. There can be both low-growing bushes and tall ones, as well as creeping species.Many examples are used to decorate the club and garden. A perennial plant does not require complex care and blooms beautifully.