Potentilla x tonguei - Cinquefoil

Potentilla x tonguei is a herbaceous Potentilla hybrid with a creeping and mat-forming growth habit that blooms generously from June to September, with fairly flat, apricot-coloured flowers and a dark red centre. Its leaves are similar to those of a strawberry. This underutilised plant with great ornamental value is easy to grow in ordinary, well-drained soil that is not too dry, in a sunny or semi-shaded location.

Potentilla x tonguei is a horticultural variety resulting from the cross-breeding of Potentilla nepalensis and P. anglica. 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 cushion-like clump, measuring 10 cm (4 in) in height and spreading up to 30 cm (12 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 hairs. Their colour is a vibrant, satin-like green. The foliage is deciduous and absent in winter. Flowering occurs from June to August, with a possible second bloom in autumn if the plant is pruned. The flowers appear on branched stems at the tip of the shoots, resembling small wild roses, 2 cm (1 in) in diameter, with a lovely apricot colour. The centre of the flower is a dark carmine-red. This perennial reaches its full potential after 4 to 5 years of growth.

Hardy, robust, and disease-resistant, Potentilla x tonguei grows in permeable, fresh, not too chalky, and well-drained soil, preferably in full sun. It is ideal in a rock garden, on a slope, in a border, or along a pathway or terrace, associated with saxifrages, small sedums. It is also beautiful in a not overly dry rock garden, accompanied by pasque flowers and the pink strawberry Fragaria Pink Panda. It can also be successfully grown in pots with regular watering.