Bush Potentilla is a small, deciduous shrub growing 1 to 4 feet tall and wide (depending on the variety). It has a dense, twiggy, rounded and mounding habit, with small, green, deeply lobed leaves giving it a fine texture. Flowers appear June until frost, and range in color from a creamy white to yellow, to orange, depending on variety. Flowers are followed by little brown fruit; not very ornamental but they persist into the winter and birds enjoy them. Bark is brown and peeling. Useful for perennial, shrub, or foundation borders. Many cultivars are available.
Grow in any well drained soil; very adaptive to soil type. Best growth and flowering occur in full sun, though it will tolerate part shade. To keep the plant compact and flowerful, prune to the ground late winter to early spring. They sometimes scorch when planted in front of west or south facing walls because of reflective heat. Making space for some other shrub between the potentilla and the wall will help.