- Creeping cinquefoil is considered a weed - why?
- How to fight it?
- Do not fight the herb rigorously, but use it
- Eat the leaves and flowers
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It is also known as five cinquefoil and is widespread in this country. But is creeping cinquefoil a weed that needs to be eradicated as soon as possible, or is there some good use to be made of it?
Creeping cinquefoil is not only a weed but also medicinal
Creeping cinquefoil is considered a weed - why?
As its name suggests, this cinquefoil crawls along the ground. There it forms numerous offshoots over time. At some point, a whole carpet has grown from a plant that covers the ground. On the one hand because of this strong spread and on the other hand because of its robustness, the creeping cinquefoil is considered a weed.
How to fight it?
Here are some things to keep in mind when fighting:
- has a thin taproot up to 45 cm long
- start as early as possible (before it starts to proliferate)
- remove the herb before flowering (starts in May/June).
- pull out when the soil is wet
- it is better to completely dig up all the remains of the roots
- alternatively on larger areas: mow
- if not completely removed, it will come back
Do not fight the herb rigorously, but use it
If you are a nature lover and do not place too much value on straightness in your garden, but can also enjoy wild plants, do not fight the creeping cinquefoil entirely. For example, you can use its plant parts. It is edible and medicinal.
Eat the leaves and flowers
The leaves taste slightly sour and the flowers sour-sweet. For example, you can use the leaves for green juices, smoothies, salads, stews and soups. The flowers also taste good on their own and optically enhance various dishes.
Among other things, the parts of the plant have a stimulating effect on blood circulation, help against fever and relieve inflammation in the mouth and throat. The long taproot in particular is full of medicinal ingredients. The leaves, on the other hand, are extremely rich in vitamin C.
tips
In contrast to many other perennials, the creeping cinquefoil is extremely robust in its location when it comes to extremely cold temperatures of down to -29 °C. Therefore it is worthwhile to let this plant grow in some places where other plants prove to be poorly hardy.