Potentilla, also called shrubby cinquefoil or bush cinquefoil, is one of the most popular landscape shrubs. It is valued for its long bloom time, exceptional hardiness, and carefree nature. Potentilla thrives best in full sun with well-drained, neutral pH soil.

Understanding the Context

Plant potentilla in the spring, spacing them 3 feet apart for hedges and 6 feet for individual plants. Prune potentilla every three to five years to rejuvenate growth, cutting back the oldest canes to promote new blooms. Here's our round-up of the 15 best potentilla varieties to incorporate into your flower bed ideas. 1.

Key Insights

‘Abbotswood’. Slightly spreading plants carry an impressive show of single, white flowers through a long season from late spring to fall, nicely set off by dark green foliage. Potentilla is the garden's most underrated workhorse — a shrub that laughs at -40°F winters, shrugs off drought, thrives in poor soil, and delivers five-petalled blooms from June until the first hard frost. This complete guide covers every variety, care tip, and reason to grow it. Potentilla / ˌpoʊtənˈtɪlə / [1] is a genus containing over 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae.

Final Thoughts

Potentillas may also be called cinquefoils in English, but they have also been called five fingers and silverweeds. Potentilla needs full sun exposure, about 6-8 hours a day. Potentillas must be watered regularly but don’t like their roots sitting in water for too long. It’s especially important to water your Potentilla plants regularly during early growth.