Botanical Name: Potentilla fruticosa
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Common Name: Bush Potentilla  
Plant photo of: Potentilla fruticosa
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

1-3', 3-6'

 

Flower Color

Gold, Orange, Yellow, White

 

Flower Season

Summer, Fall

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall, Persistent

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Raised Planter

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Linda Engstrom, Connon N.

  • Description

  • Notes

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.