Thursday, June 5, 2014

Potentilla or Kuril Tea

   Many of you, fellow gardeners grow this nice bush in your gardens. Today I want to show my Potentilla bushes. In Russia common name is Kuril tea that was given at Kuril islands in Far East. I have two varieties of Potentilla (bloodroot, cinquefoil) growing in my garden. One is 'Goldfinger' variety with yellow flowers and another is 'Abbotswood' with white flowers. There is also another variety with pink flowers but I have no it in my garden.

Potentilla, red begonia and white lobelia

Potentilla (Dasiphora fruticosa) is a perennial ornamental deciduous shrub, about 1-1.5 m high, with a dense crown. Extremely hardy, can be pruned, all its shoots ripen till winter, that is very important in the northern area.
I often propagate Kuril tea, planting new cuttings in early summer and now have many new bushes. It multiplies very easily.
Some of bushes were planted around the garden, especially where the tall shrub trunks have no leaves such as decorative willow, silvery goof, white dogwood. As Potentilla bushes are short, round, having dense crown covered with bright small flowers then the phlox, hostas, begonias, tall bushes are well complemented. 

My decorative willow 'braided pigtail' and Potentilla

 Potentilla, phlox and hostas
 
Tea of Potentilla leaves is used in many infectious diseases, it has unique antiviral and antibacterial properties. Also Potentilla or Kuril tea used as immunocorrective treatment. Methods of brewing tea are well described. Kuril tea improves overall health, if to drink it instead of the usual tea. It's allowed to drink up to three cups of medicinal drink per day. I did tea mixing young Potentilla, monarda, mint and lemon balm leaves.




What is you experience growing Potentilla? Do you have these bushes? Where did you plant them?

41 comments:

  1. These were grown in many gardens in the North when I lived in Alaska. Here I don't see them so much. Beautiful and tough plants! I didn't know about their medicinal use.

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    1. Hi, Peter!
      I have recently known about Kuril tea as well.

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  2. Hi Nadezda
    Your potentillas are lovely! Mine were always thorny, scraggly and never survived winters well. Yours certainly have done well.

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    1. Potentilla in my garden survive winter mostly well, but it depends the snowy level. Thank you Astrid!

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  3. Potentilla are lovely shrubs. When we started our garden many years ago, we had some white blooming and yellow blooming shrubs but they didn't do that well, not in any spot in the garden, over the years they eventually all disappeared, it was the beginning of our search for plants that would do well here which are few we now know. Our garden would have looked so differently if it would have been as I planned it originally.

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    1. You are right Marian. This bush does not grow where I would like to plant it. It chooses its spot. I think my garden soil - mostly turf suits it well.
      Thank you!

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  4. This is a new plant for me. Looks so interesting and have so many benefit. Thank you for sharing.

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  5. Dear Nadezda,your plants are very interesting and healthy too!I don't know about this bushe!I see it for first time!It has preety flowers!
    Thank you for sharing!Have a lovely Summertime!
    Dimi...

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    1. You're welcome Dimi and my congratulation on your 2 years blogging!

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  6. I have some of these in my garden too, white and yellow and always look pretty. I didn't know about their antibacterial properties though. Thanks for sharing Nadezda.
    Patricia x

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  7. I have several yellow potentillas planted at the ends of some long beds on the allotment. They came about by too great a success with cuttings as did the buddleia growing alongside them. I have a pink one in the garden but it does grow very well at all. I never knew that they had medicinal qualities.

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    1. I'd like the pink potentilla too, Sue. But did not see it in nursery this spring. If I could find it I would made some cuttings and had some bushes more.
      Thank you!

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  8. I don't really see any flower gardens here in KY. They are so beautiful!!

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  9. I don't know this plant, Nadezda. It would be very useful for it's medicinal properties. How does it taste in a tea? I like the white flower very much.
    You have done a good job with your braided willow. Your garden looks so pretty.
    Thank you for sharing about this interesting plant.

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    1. Betty, I like my willow, or better say some braided willows. You could read about it here:
      http://northern-garden.blogspot.ru/2012/01/willow-garden-bonsai-nivaki.html
      What is this tea? I think it is similar yellow tea, with its taste and color.
      Thank you!

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    2. Thank you for the video link and description. It needs much patience, I think! Looks strong and stable.

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  10. I didn't know this plant was used for making tea! I have not grown this plant, but I have grown Hypericum, which looks similar.

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    1. Hypericum is a perennial herb, Potentilla is a bush. They both are used for medicinal properties. Thank you Jason!

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  11. I don’t grow potentillas here in my garden in London but I do remember them from when I lived in Norway, they were everywhere there, in private gardens and in parks and public spaces. I didn’t know you could make a tea of it either, thanks for sharing :-)

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    1. Helene, Potentilla are very decorative bushes so you're right they are planted in many places in towns.
      Thank you!

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  12. Nadezda, your garden is really perfect. Really, gorgeous plants and flowers and wonderful colors !
    I wish you a happy weekend :)

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  13. How interesting to know you can make a tea with it. I should look for that plant. The only potentilla I grow is a perennial rather than a shrub. It is potentilla rupestris. It has beautiful white flowers (which are just starting to open now) but it tends to self-seed.

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    Replies
    1. Alain, your potentilla is not a bush, here we call it 'potentilla rocky' because it usually grows in stones or rocks. Mine is a bush, with strong stems and grows everywhere. If you're interested in tea ask in a drugstore, here there are 'natural pharmacies' where one can buy some natural medical teas.
      Thank you!

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  14. Hi Nadezda,
    I've never heard of potentillas here in Japan. But its flowers look lovely! And surprised to know that you can have it as a tea!! I wish I could taste it! Your garden looks nice, especially love the foliage combinations of hosta and potentillas:)

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    1. Kuril tea tastes like yellow tea, Keity. I love combination of this bush and other plants as well.
      Thank you!

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  15. I have three or four potentillas which simply didn’t flower properly this year. Some did, some didn’t. We had a very wet winter and spring; is it possible that they don’t like too much water? I have cut them back and hope that they will recover for next year. When do you take your cuttings?

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    1. I take the cuttings right now, when they have new leaves. I plant them in warm and partly shady place. They are rooted in September, I leave cuttings until spring and then I have new Potentilla. Have a nice day Friko!

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  16. Thank you for another delightful visit to your garden. I've never heard of Potentilla, so have learned something today.

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  17. Da gusto entrar en esta casa virtual que compartes por todo el mundo Nadezda.
    Tu Jardín está que da gusto verlo en las fotos, me imagino lo que debes disfrutar con él, es una preciosidad!!!
    Hemos estado unos días en Madrid. Rubén cumplió años.
    Que tengas un buen domingo.
    Un beso.

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    1. Felicitaciones a Ruben y a ti, Laura como a su madre! Los hijos crecen muy pronto...
      Mi jardin se ve muy colorado, todo florece, por eso yo adoro este tiempo.
      Gracias!

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  18. I don't have any potentilla, but I've seen it in many gardens around here. Love those cheery yellow blooms. I didn't know, however, that it had medicinal properties--I might look into this!

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    1. Its tea tastes like yellow tea, Rose. Maybe you'll like it. Thank you!

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  19. Nadezda! your garden delights.
    It is very beautiful. You surprised me with potentillas tea.
    I do not know her.
    Greetings.

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    1. This tea is not very popular as usual tea, Lucja.
      Thank you!

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  20. Dear Nadezda,
    I had not heard of Potentilla so you have introduced me to a new plant that I will want to plant in our garden. I ask AGA and he knew the Latin name (he is very scientific) but has not grown it either. It looks a very pretty flower.
    Bye for now
    Kirk
    PS
    I am going to see if I can get Kuril tea here and if I can I will tell you if I like the taste!

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    Replies
    1. Potentilla is not a rare plant Kirk. I'm sure you have seen it in parks but have not taken attention. This tea tastes like yellow tea and is popular in Far East so I think you won't be able to get it in your place. Thank you!

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