Potentilla cultorum Orange - Cinquefoil

The hybrid Potentilla 'Orange' is a beautiful perennial plant that offers small open cup-shaped flowers throughout the summer, in a vibrant orange colour that contrasts beautifully with a very handsome shiny green and silky foliage reminiscent of strawberry leaves. It forms a spreading cushion, magnificent as a border or in the foreground of flower beds. This hybrid variety is easy to grow in full sun or partial shade, in any ordinary soil that is not too dry.

Potentilla x cultorum Orange is a horticultural creation resulting from the cross-breeding of different species of Potentilla. Like strawberries, to which it bears some resemblance, it belongs to the Rosaceae family. It is a perennial plant with creeping stems that forms a round and dense clump, in the shape of a cushion measuring 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) in height and spreading over 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 in). Its foliage is as soft to the eye as it is to the touch. The lower leaves are divided into five toothed leaflets; the upper leaves into three leaflets, and covered with silky, bright green, satin-like hairs. The flowering period extends from June to August, with a possible second bloom in autumn if the plant is pruned. The flowers appear on branched stems at the tips of the shoots, resembling small wild roses measuring 2 to 3 cm (1 in) in diameter, displaying a very bright orange colour that fades slightly over time. The centre of the flower is darker. This perennial will reach its full potential after 4 to 5 years of growth.

Potentilla Orange, like other herbaceous cinquefoils, is a true star of borders: it embellishes the layout of pathways and softens the design of a partially shaded terrace, when paired with paniculate saxifrages, heucheras or small sedums. It is also very beautiful in a not overly dry rockery, accompanied by pasqueflowers, Waldsteinia ternata, Fragaria Pink Panda, grey artemisias, and teucriums, etc. It can also be associated with small grasses such as Pennisetum orientale, Heliotrichon (oat grass) and fescues, or mixed with simple perennials like cupid's darts (Catananche) and Centaurea pulcherrima to create colourful and charming scenes. It also grows very well in pots, with regular watering.