strawberry-like flower for ID please

christina · #1 (**permalink**) 03-08-2009, 02:40 PM

Hello

I found this little plant in one of our pots, it was not planted at all.

Description: It has strawberry like leaves, with long stalks then a bunch of buds. The flowers are a deep red and black veined, they grow on a long stalk from the bunch of buds. The flower head is probably no bigger than a one pence piece.

When I first saw it I thought it was a wild strawberry plant. Here are some pics.

As I was uploading the pics, the name "geum" came to mind. I did a google search but didnt find anything like this.

All suggestions gratfully received.

Many thanks
Christina

Hedera · #2 (**permalink**) 03-08-2009, 04:02 PM

This is a rather nice Potentilla - one of many garden varieties, and a semi-double, too. Cherish it.

christina · #3 (**permalink**) 03-08-2009, 05:29 PM

Thank you so much for the ID Hedera, its been driving me nuts lol

We have no idea how it got into the pot, but are pleased that it did. I am guessing this is not a wildflower but a cultivated one.

Thanks again

Christina

davidbr · #4 (**permalink**) 03-08-2009, 06:43 PM

Your plant is Nepal Cinquefoil, Potentilla nepalensis - the "two-shade" flowers, darker red inside and paler fading to pale pink on the outside, are distinctive.

In Alien Plants of the British Isles it's listed as a "casual garden escape" recorded from less than 5 localities, and the BSBI's map currently shows 2 post-1999 sites. In other words, a good find