Cup-shaped flowers in white, yellow or red open in succession from spring right through to autumn, on a small bushy shrub that asks for almost nothing. Cinquefoil (Potentilla) is grown for that long season of colour, and the rule is simple: the sunnier the spot, the longer the flowering lasts.
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| Name | Potentilla |
|---|---|
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Type | shrub or perennial |
| Height | 1 ½ to 6 ½ feet (0.5 to 2 metres) |
| Exposure | full sun, part sun |
| Soil | ordinary |
| Foliage | deciduous |
| Flowering | mid-spring to mid-autumn |
When purchased in containers, cinquefoil is planted in fall or spring. This little flower shrub’s versatility helps it adapt to all types of soil, whether rich or poor, dry or slightly moist.
Propagating cinquefoil
Bushy cinquefoil is very easily multiplied through cuttings, by collecting young sprigs during the month of August.
Cinquefoil asks for very little, but the few jobs it does need each fall at a particular moment. Here is the whole cycle, from planting to the last trim of the season.
| Task | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Planting container-grown plants | Autumn or spring, never in frost | Settles into any soil, rich or poor, dry or slightly moist |
| Watering a new plant | First year after planting | Encourages roots to develop; afterwards rainfall is usually enough |
| Shaping prune | Early spring, as growth starts up | Keeps the bushy shape and stimulates the coming blooming |
| Deadheading | Right through the flowering season | Removing wilted flowers keeps the display going |
| Taking cuttings | Late summer, from young sprigs | The easiest way to multiply bushy cinquefoil |
| Trimming flowered stems | After the blooming is over | Shortens the sprigs that have borne flowers |
One light prune a year, plus regular deadheading, is genuinely all this shrub asks of you.
Cinquefoil is easy to care for, and a simple light yearly pruning should enable you to keep a cute, bushy bearing and stimulate the summer flowering.
Watering cinquefoil
It is a good idea to water cinquefoil regularly the first year after planting to favor root development.
Once properly settled in, normal rainfall should be more than enough to fulfill the needs of the plant.
A very beautiful blooming distinguishes this fast-growing shrub which is very easy to cultivate.
You’ll be rejoicing in its very cute flowers for a long time since they appear repeatedly from spring to fall.
You might find some annual species among the cinquefoils, as well as other perennials and lastly small shrubs. This bushy cinquefoil has a very interesting bushy composure, an abundant blooming ranging from white to red through yellow.
It is particularly elegant along edges, as well as in a flower bed and on rocky ground.
This plant is particularly well suited to growing in pots on a terrace or balcony thanks to its rather restricted growth.
Lastly, note that cinquefoil is extremely hardy, and holds perfectly well to negative temperatures down to -13°F (-25°C).
Take advantage of the cinquefoil’s low height to pair it with perennials.
