A Year in the Valley

A Year in the Valley

Discovering the flora and fauna in a small square of Portmellon Valley

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  • Creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans)

    Creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans)

    There are some small pretty 5-7 lobed leaves with pinked edges growing in Vole County.  It is interesting that when I identified the thyme-leaved speedwell a few weeks ago, I noticed the cinquefoil leaves in the photo (below) which was taken back in August.  It was too long ago to post them, but then I spotted that they are now growing again and I was able to take the top up-to-date photo. It has rich purple stems and the yellow buttercup-like flowers bloom June-September.

    The creeping cinquefoil likes waste ground, verges, hedgerows, and sand dunes.  It grows low – less than 20cm high and spreads by growing runners which arch across the ground and root at nodes when they touch down again.

    It is seen by some as a weed but is good for ground cover and is a pollinator, providing food and habitat for insects and small creatures, notably bees which like its nectar and pollen, and caterpillars which like its leaves.

    Picture left is Thyme-leaved Speedwell from August 2023 – Creeping Cinquefoil is in the top right of the picture.

    Daisy D

    16 February 2024
    Flowers
    Creeping Cinquefoil, Thyme-leaved Speedwell

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  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
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  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • Spotted in September
  • Spotted in August
  • Spotted in July
  • Spotted in June
  • Conclusions