One of the least talked about plant neighbours is the shrubs. Sure, people hug trees, they’ll stop to smell the wildflowers, but shrubs are just shrubbed off, or rather shrugged off. They don’t even have a pose of their own in yoga like the flower or tree. What better time to try to sway popular opinion about the shrubs than August, when one of the most brightly decorated shrubs, Potentilla, is still in bloom. The potentilla is so proud of its status as a shrub that it has even incorporated the word into its more common name, Shrubby Cinquefoil.
Here is a shrub which has beautiful little green lance-like leaves that grow in clusters adorned with yellow blossoms of five (cinque in Italian) petals that easily match the beauty of wildflowers. These bright yellow flowers are displayed not for our viewing pleasure, but to attract pollinators. Unlike the brief blooming periods of several wildflowers, the Shrubby Cinquefoil is in bloom from June until September, providing many a meal to the pollinators that are attracted to its beauty. This in turn provides meals to the animals that like to eat the pollinators such as birds, bats, and other insects.
As a shrub the Shrubby Cinquefoil plays a role in providing shelter and shade for smaller animals. Being a human, you might prefer the immense shade provided by a tree, but you also enjoy the luxury of being a large mammal who does not risk predation from aerial predators (aside from female mosquitos) if you leave yourself exposed in the open. For animals the size of mice and rabbits, a shrub, and its many stems that make it a shrub, provide a welcome refuge to hide underneath where the birds of prey cannot easily see you taking a nap. The close proximity of durable wood stems in a shrub, make it a prime place to look for the webs of opportunistic spiders as well. Even beneath the surface the Shrubby Cinquefoil serves a purpose to the ecological community by providing soil stabilization with its intricate roots, which prevents erosion.
But that is not all the Shrubby Cinquefoil has to offer. Traditionally, Blackfoot people could gather the leaves to make stuffing for pillows and dried the leaves to add to meats for a little bit of spiciness. The old flaking bark can be used to make excellent tinder for fires. The leaves and stem combined are still used for making a calcium- rich tea by other Indigenous groups and herbalists.
Shrubs may never be known for the strength like trees, or swooned over for their beauty as the flowers are, but that does not make them any less of a wonder on the landscape. The Shrubby Cinquefoil is an excellent ambassador for shrubs, being welcomed into our gardens as an ornamental addition. They serve as reminders that there are many unsung heroes of the natural world and that shrubs deserve a cheery song or two or they’ll all just be weeping willows.
