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Cinquefoil

Potentilla spp.

Rosaceae

There are over 20 species of cinquefoil (meaning “five finger”) in BC. The characteristic features of the various cinquefoils are the yellow buttercup-like flowers and the five-fingered toothed leaves on branched stalks. Some species are several feet tall, while others are small and shrubby.

Cinquefoil roots can be eaten like potatoes—boiled or roasted. Tea made from the roots is a little bitter.

Medicinally, the root is used in lotions, gargles and syrups, and as an infusion. The root is boiled in vinegar to be used for sores and inflammation, decocted with honey for hoarseness and coughs, and boiled in wine to ease pain in the joints. It is known to reduce bleeding and is used both externally and internally for this purpose. It is also used as an eyewash, for diarrhea, for cramps in the stomach or lungs (taken both internally and as a compress), for colic, for ulcers in the stomach, for toothache and for spongy gums and loose teeth.

Cinquefoil