Potentilla Care and Propagation

Sometimes called 'Cinquefoil', Potentillas are excellent deciduous shrubs for the small or large garden. Almost totally free from disease and pest, they are compact plants requiring only minimal pruning to keep them to the shape and size you want.

They require almost no maintenance once established, yet they produce a mass of flowers from June to October.

The flowers come in shades of yellow, cream, white, orange and even red. The leaves are a mass of tiny green fingers which are attractive in their own right.

Key Facts

Botanical Name Potentilla

Common Name Cinquefoil

Type Deciduous shrub; late spring and summer flowering.

Size
(after 5 years) Varies but normally 1.2m (4ft) x 1.2m (4ft)

Position Full sun but see main article for those with red, orange or pink flowers.

Soil Medium and well-drained

Hardy Fully hardy

Flower Many, yellow, red, pink, white and orange

Foliage Dark green

Scent No

Season of
Interest Late spring through summer.

Propagate Semi-ripe cuttings in July, click here for semi-ripe cutting article.

To cap it all, Potentillas are fully hardy, and will live through all a British winter can throw at them. Potentillas are shrubs which deserve a place in all gardens small or large.

Which Variety of Potentilla?
We rate potentillas very highly because they are beautiful shrubs with flowers throughout the summer. It is hard to select three, however the varieties below will not disappoint! Click the pictures to enlarge them. On our next Potentilla page (click here) we have a gallery of pictures showing 20 different varieties)

Potentilla fruticosa Marion Red Robin. Click to enlarge

Potentilla fruticosa Marion Red Robin
Red, red red flowers from June to August make Potentilla fruticosa Marion Red Robin really stand out from the crowd. Click the picture on the left to enlarge it.

Click here for more information if you want buy Potentilla fruticosa Marion Red Robin online in the UK.

Potentilla fruticosa Katherine Dykes

Masses of yellow flowers from mid May to late August make this potentilla a beautiful shrub.

It has all the easy care virtues of a potentilla and is readily available.

Potentilla fruticosa Gibson's Scarlet

As it's name suggests, Gibson's Scarlet is a deep scarlet red, another potentilla which stands out from the crowd.

Click here for more information if you want buy Potentilla fruticosa Gibson's Scarlet online in the UK.

CLICK HERE FOR NEXT POTENTILLA PAGE
(how to care, plant and prune a potentilla)

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