This section contains general information on the care and culture of Potentilla's.
Pronunciation
(po-ten-TIL-a)(fro-ti-KO-sa)
Plant Type
All Plants, Shrubs Deciduous
Hardiness Zone
2-7
Sunlight
prefers full, will tolerate some shade but flower production is reduced
Moisture
average
Soil & Site
average-tolerates moist (not wet) areas, they will will show stress in draught conditions and would benefit from some additional water at these times
Flowers
Flowers about 1" across and usually have five petals. Colors are white, yellow, orange, red and pink. The red and orange cultivars are difficult in zone #5, they don't hold the color and fade in the heat. Produced in large numbers in the first flush around June and than sporadic through out the summer.
Fruit
an achene, not ornamental
Leaves
Fine textured leaves, light to dark green, some slightly blueish.
Stems
very twiggy
Roots
fiborous
Dimensions
Reaches 2-4 feet in height, 3-5 spread depending on the cultivar and amount of pruning. Space 3-4 feet on center.
Maintenance
All of the Potentilla need to be pruned back on a yearly or every other year, to no longer than a 3 year cycle. If not, they will become scraggly, have lots of old gnarly stems and flower production will decrease. There are three methods of pruning these. Method #1 consists of using a hedge shears and shear the plant into some miss shaped geometric figure. This is the least desirable, doesn't help the plant much and does little for increasing flower production. Method #2 consists of cutting the shrub close to the ground, leaving 3-6 inches of stem. Seems harsh but a healthy shrub will quickly regrow. This is a no brainer method. Methods #3 consists of removing the gnarly old stems as close to the ground as possible, using pruning shears, cut the shrub back about 1/3 - 1/2. I do this in a shape that will resemble the natural form of the shrub. The earlier in the spring this is done, the sooner the plant will flower. One of my clients has me prune back these shrubs each year, since she likes the fresh, new growth of the shrub. After it is done blooming many people like to remove the dried seed heads. This is a matter of choice. I usually do it
Propagation
softwood cuttings
Author's Notes
An extremely useful genus of flowering shrubs for the landscape. Can be used as part of a foundation planting, part of gardens or massed in berms and borders. It seems to have lost some of it's luster since it has been used extensively over the years.
Notes & Reference
#01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr)