Potentilla fruticosa White Lady - Shrubby Cinquefoil

The  Shrubby Cinquefoil White Lady is a recent variety of shrubby cinquefoil that is remarkably floriferous and bright. With a semi-spreading habit, this shrub forms a dense dome of grey-green foliage on which a multitude of small flowers with pure white cups and yellow centres bloom in successive waves.  Easy to grow, hardy and robust, requiring little maintenance, this deciduous groundcover shrub can be planted anywhere, in flower beds and borders as well as in large pots on the patio. It is a highly rewarding plant, flowering from June to October and almost invincible in well-drained soil.

Potentilla fruticosa is a woody shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae family, just like roses. The 'White Lady' variety is a particularly hardy deciduous shrub with a bushy, semi-spreading habit and dense foliage. At maturity, the plant will measure approximately 90 cm (35in) in all directions. Its slender branches, which are brown and peel with age, bear deciduous foliage. The small size of the leaves, which are divided into narrow leaflets, gives a beautiful lightness to the dark green silhouette. A slight white hairiness on the underside of the leaves gives a silky and slightly ashy appearance. Its delicate flowers are shaped like cups, 3 cm (1in) wide,  with  five pure white petals and golden stamens. The abundant flowering, starting in June and ending with the first cold weather, is generally more intense at the beginning of summer, then regularly resumes during the season, depending on the moisture of the soil.

In full sun, potentillas will produce more vibrant flowers, while in partial shade the colour will be slightly less intense. Easy-to-grow plants, floriferous, and beautifully coloured, Potentillas are ideal for brightening up the garden or balcony.  With their Scottish rose-like appearance and their very modest requirements, they can be used in multiple ways and planted anywhere: in flower beds, rock gardens, borders, low hedges, containers..under most climates and in well-drained soil. 

They will be most effective when planted alongside Dahlias, Iris germanica, Yarrows, Gaura, Perovskia, perennial flax, wild chicory. They will ideally associate with Mediterranean plants (Lavender, Rosemary, Cistus, Fennel, Helichrysum, Teucrium), for a warm and fragrant atmosphere. To create a contemporary scene, they can be paired with plants with a more slender or tousled habit (Phormiums, Grasses, Euphorbias, Crocosmias). On a slope or rockery, where they will be ideally placed if your garden soil is heavy or clay, they can also be associated with dwarf or creeping conifers, creeping Ceanothus or even groundcover and landscape roses.