Nepal cinquefoil

Nepal cinquefoil: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, bushy clump about 45 cm high and 60 cm wide, with branched, hairy stems that rise and partly sprawl.

Leaves

Palmate with five toothed leaflets, green and hairy.

Flower

Saucer-shaped, five-petalled flowers of about 2–3 cm, pink to cherry-red, often with a darker centre, from June to September.

Lifespan

Often short-lived. Division or seed keeps the plant young.

Roots

Fibrous, with a sturdy crown; it tolerates drought well but not wet feet.

Flowering: June–September · Sowing: March · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and July

Why grow it?

• Flowers from June to September in pink to cherry-red, often with a dark centre.
• Cut back after the first flowering, it gives a second flush of blooms.
• Bees readily visit the flat flowers.
• Drought-tolerant and useful in a sunny, free-draining border or gravel garden.
• Stays low and fills gaps between other plants.

Nepal cinquefoil: where does it grow best?

• Full sun for the richest flowering and the sturdiest foliage.
• Ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky. The soil must drain well.
• Dry to moderately moist: it is quite drought-tolerant.
• Put it at the edge of the border or in a gravel garden, so the stems can lean.
• Allow 40–50 cm per plant.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.45 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Purple and grey foliage beside the pink flowers, in the same sun and dry soil.
• Sage: Purple-blue spikes that contrast well with pink.
• Blue fescue: A fine blue-grey grass that calms the loose stems.
• Yarrow: Flat heads in yellow or white for a bee-friendly combination.

Nepal cinquefoil: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Plant out seedlings after the last night frost, around mid-May.
2. Work compost into the soil; mix heavy clay with coarse sand for better drainage.
3. Dig a hole as deep as the pot and a little wider, and set the plant at the same depth as in its pot.
4. Space plants 40–50 cm apart.
5. Water straight away, then weekly in dry weather until it is established.
6. Spread a thin layer of compost or fine gravel around the plants, keeping the crown clear.

Care

Watering

Rarely once established; water only in prolonged drought.

Feeding

A layer of compost in spring; too much feed gives lots of leaves and few flowers.

Mulching

A thin layer of fine gravel or compost in spring; not against the crown.

Spent flowers

Cut off spent stems: this keeps the flowering going longer.

Support

Rarely needed: let it lean on neighbouring plants or give it a few twigs as support.

Tip: Cut it back hard in July after the first flowering: you will get fresh foliage and a second flush of flowers. Give it full sun and well-drained soil.

Nepal cinquefoil: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and July.

When: In March to clear old stems, and in July after the first flowering.

How:

• In March, cut last year’s dead stems down to just above the new shoots.
• After the first flowering, in July, cut the flowering stems back by a third to a half.
• Fresh foliage and a second flush of flowers follow.
• Water in dry weather afterwards.

Caution: Do not cut into bare, old wood: always leave some foliage and young shoots.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

In March indoors in a seed tray at about 15–18 °C. Scatter the fine seed on the surface and barely cover it. Prick out the seedlings and plant them out after the last night frost. Cultivars do not always come true from seed.

Division

In March–April or in September, every three to four years: lift the clump, divide it into pieces with roots and leaves and replant straight away.

Nepal cinquefoil: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The risk is not the cold but wet soil in winter. Make sure it drains well.
• In a pot: use free-draining soil, put the pot in shelter and do not let it stand in water.

Diseases and pests

• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, especially in drought and poor airflow. Water at the base, give it space and cut off affected parts.
• Rot in wet soil: The crown turns brown and soft in wet winters. Provide well-drained soil.
• Spider mite: In hot, dry weather the foliage turns dull with fine webbing. Spray with water and water in dry weather.
• Thinning clump: After a few years the clump goes bare in the middle. Divide it or replace it with young plants.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors. Cut off old stems. Plant or divide.
• April: Plant. Prick out seedlings.
• May: Plant out seedlings after the last night frost. Plant.
• June: Flowering begins.
• July: Cut back after the first flowering. Water in dry weather.
• August: Second flush of flowers.
• September: Last flowers. Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Leave the foliage for winter.
• December: Rest.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species name nepalensis refers to Nepal, part of its range in the Himalayas.
• The name cinquefoil comes from an Old French word meaning ‘five leaves’ and refers to the leaves with five leaflets.
• Cinquefoils belong to the rose family, like strawberries and roses, and share their five petals.