The shrubby cinquefoil resembles a small rose bush with single flowers and provides generous blooming throughout the summer. As an added bonus, this bushy plant adapts to all soil types and grows everywhere in France. Here are 5 things to know about this easy-going shrub.
In botany, the genus Potentilla refers to flowering plants of the Rosaceae family. This botanical genus comprises roughly 500 species, almost all native to the northern hemisphere.
Although most potentillas are herbaceous perennials, the shrubby potentillas from the species Potentilla fruticosa are the most commonly used in gardens.
They should not be confused with the creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), a rather invasive weed, nor with the hybrid herbaceous cinquefoils of types Potentilla x hopwoodiana and Potentilla x tonguei.
In the large family of cinquefoils, the shrubby cinquefoil is a bushy shrub that does not exceed an average height of one meter. It is recognizable by its wild rose-like appearance and its colorful and generous flowering throughout the summer. The delicate flowers of the species Potentilla fruticosa can last until the frosts if autumn is mild in your area.
The flowers appear on the shoots of the year, starting in May for the earliest varieties and up to October for the latest ones. The peak of blooming usually occurs in summer, between mid-June and mid-September.
Most shrubby cinquefoils have simple flowers with 5 petals, about 3 cm in diameter. However, there are varieties with large flowers, such as Bellissima with its bright pink bloom, Bella Sol in orange color, or Goldfinger in golden yellow.
In addition to its aesthetic qualities, the shrubby cinquefoil is an ideal flowering shrub for beginner gardeners: it grows in all regions and in all soil types!
This shrub is really easy to care for as it only requires well-drained soil. It tolerates all pH levels and grows in difficult conditions, including on chalky, poor, or sandy soils.
Its cultivation does not present any particular difficulties as it withstands cold down to -25°C and drought. This plant accepts full sun or light partial shade. It should be noted that too much sunlight can slightly fade the flowers, especially red or pink varieties.
Once well established, it requires no special maintenance, except for an annual pruning at the beginning of spring. Pruning helps to maintain a bushy shape and stimulates flowering since the flowers appear on the shoots of the year.
There is no need to fertilize or water it, unless you are growing it in a container or during a heatwave.
Shrub cinquefoils come in a wide range of shades of yellow, orange, pink, red, and even white. If you're unsure which cinquefoil to choose, note that there are varieties to suit all tastes, offering flowers in pastel hues or brighter colors.
Among the most popular varieties, we can particularly mention:
• the white-colored 'Abbotswood' variety.
• the 'Pink Paradise' variety which offers a beautiful shade of pink, softer than the bright pink of the 'Bellissima' variety. If you are looking for an even more pastel shade, the 'Lovely Pink' variety offers delicate soft pink flowers reminiscent of wild roses.
• the 'Kobold' variety with its bright yellow bloom or the 'Lemon Meringue' variety offering a softer yellow shade. If you are looking for a very tender pale yellow, turn to the 'Primrose Beauty' variety.
• the bright orange-colored 'Hopley’s Orange' variety.
• the red-orange colored 'Mango Tango' variety.
• the 'Marian Red Robin' variety with its beautiful true red.
To make the right choice among the many varieties of shrub cinquefoils, consider the color as well as the size and shape of the flowers (single or double) and the blooming period.
With its generally modest size and bushy habit, the shrubby cinquefoil lends itself to multiple uses in gardens. Its compact form allows it to be grown without any problem in a small garden or even on a balcony.
It also finds its place in larger gardens, at the forefront of a shrubbery border, among rockery flowers, or in a mixed-border composition.
In a country-style garden, it can be paired with rosemary and lavender to form low hedges or to cover a slope, alongside spreading euonymus.
Author Audrey on 19 September 2024
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