Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla Reptans)
Flowers: June to September. Height: 15cm (6in).
In French, ‘foil’ means leaf. Also called Five Fingers, the five-petaled Cinquefoil flower was a popular feature in church architecture, often used in windows and arches in Normandy and Brittany through the 15th century. The word Potentilla comes from Latin for ‘powerful’ and as an emblem in heraldry, represented strength, power, honour and loyalty. Only medieval knights who had achieved self-mastery were permitted to use the five-leaf emblem of the Cinquefoil on their shield as symbol of the five senses.
Medicinal: For all inflammations and fevers whether infectious or pestilential. Used in gargles and lotions for sore mouths, ulcers, cancers and running sores. Boiled in wine it was applied to painful joints and drunk as a cure for gout and sciatica.
Magic & Myth: In medieval times Cinquefoil was an ingredient in many magic spells in and love potions. It provided protection for any traveller, and, when hung at the door or on the bed, would ensure restful sleep. It is one of the herbs supposedly used in medieval ‘Flying ointment’, a hallucinogenic mix used by witches. Francis Bacon listed that other ingredients included smallage and wolfsbane mixed with the fat and wheat flour. He also wrote that frogs had a predilection for sitting on this plant whilst toads preferred to sit under sage.
