Marsh cinquefoil likes wet, boggy places, fens and peaty meadows. When it is in flower, between May and July, it is a good source of food for nectar-loving insects, such as bees and hoverflies. Marsh cinquefoil is one of a number of cinquefoils, but is unique in the UK as the only one with deep magenta flowers - the rest have yellow flowers. It is a member of the rose family.
How to identify
Marsh cinquefoil can be identified by its magenta, star-shaped flowers (the red 'petals' are actually sepals) and the pinkish tinge to its green parts. Its leaves are divided into five long lobes with toothed margins.
Distribution
Widespread in the north and west of the UK, but less common in the south and East Anglia.
Did you know?
One particular type of weevil, Phytobius comari, lives on nothing but Marsh cinquefoil.
