Guest Author - Hellie T.

Potentilla or Cinquefoil is an easy to grow hardy deciduous shrub that flowers all summer.


Potentillas look good in both small or larger gardens and don’t mind being grown in pots. They have pretty saucer-shaped flowers and make an excellent small shrub for an English Garden.

There are many types – some being upright and others with spreading growth, but all of them will produce flowers for weeks and weeks. They can start flowering in May and go on until September. And best of all - they are practically disease and pest-free!

Their flowers come in a wide range of shades of yellow, orange, cream, white, pink and red, while their foliage is an attractive mass of small silvery green leaves.
Potentillas make a pretty flowering short hedge.

How to grow

They prefer a sunny spot but will do well in a place that has at least half a day’s sunshine.

They do best in well drained soil and will appreciate a 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around their base in spring.

They need very little maintenance once established only needing a little pruning once a year to keep them the shape and size you need.

In really hot summers they will need watering especially if they are planted where they get the full heat of the midday sun.

They are hardy down to -25°C

Size this varies from however they are usually approx 1.2m (4ft) x 1.2m (4ft)

Potentillas to look out for

Potentilla Vilmoriniana

Has beautiful soft pale yellow flowers and soft silvery green leaves
It grows well in my garden on a bank where the soil is well drained and it is shaded from the midday sun.




Grandiflora has bright yellow flowers
Sunset has soft orange flowers

Abbotswood has white flowers
Red Ace has obviously red flowers

Princess has lovely pink flowers
Vulcan has large double very dark red flowers.
Yellow Queen has yellow flowers

Enjoy your garden!