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Rosaceae
Marsh Cinquefoil
Comarum palustre
Hidden strength in adversity.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Comarum
- Native to
- Northern Europe, Northern Asia, Northern North America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- herbaceous
- Height
- 6-18 in
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- wet, boggy, acidic
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- 3-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Unlike most flowers in the rose family, marsh cinquefoil has dark reddish-purple petals instead of white or pink, making it easy to identify.
- The plant thrives in sphagnum bogs and fens, growing in habitats too waterlogged for most other plants.
- In Scandinavian folk medicine, the root was steeped in spirits to make a tonic believed to cure joint pain and rheumatism.
- Its creeping rhizomes help stabilize the floating mats of vegetation in peat bogs, creating walkable surfaces over deep water.
- The star-shaped flowers are actually more sepal than petal, with the large, dark red sepals being showier than the smaller petals.
Color meanings
0
perseverance
1
hidden strength
2
mystery