Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla)

About Shrubby cinquefoil (potentilla)

Shrubby cinquefoil is a small, tidy shrub that covers itself in bright yellow (or white, pink or orange) five-petaled flowers from early summer until frost. It's native across the northern U.S. and Canada, from New England and the Great Lakes west through the Rockies to Alaska and California, in fens, wet meadows, grasslands and forest edges (NC State, wildflower.org, USDA Forest Service). It's very cold hardy and shrugs off poor soil, road salt and drought, but it struggles in the hot, humid Southeast (NC State, Morton Arboretum). It isn't the weedy sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta), a non-native perennial that Penn State calls invasive.

Hardy in zones 2-7 and best where summers are cool (NC State); it does poorly in humid southern heat.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Plant container shrubs in spring or fall and water deeply until established, at least two growing seasons (UMN). Its fibrous roots make it easy to transplant (Morton Arboretum).

Soil

Any well-drained soil, including clay, sand, poor, rocky or alkaline soil; not for permanently wet sites. Drought tolerant once established and tolerant of road salt (Morton Arboretum, NC State).

Any well-drained soil works; test the soil before adding anything (Clemson, Morton Arboretum).

Feeding

• Spring to early summer after new growth starts, only if a soil test or poor growth shows a need: slow-release complete fertilizer in a 3:1:2 or 3:1:1 ratio, or what the soil test calls for. Spread it evenly from the stems out to the drip line and water it in; a typical rate for shrubs is about 2 lb of 12-6-6 per 100 sq ft (Clemson). Follow a soil test.

Water is what new shrubs need most: daily for the first 2 weeks, every 2-3 days through week 12, then weekly until the roots spread, at least two growing seasons, using about a quarter to a third of the nursery pot's volume each time (UMN). Too much nitrogen gives leaves at the expense of flowers (Clemson); spider mites can be a problem in hot weather (Morton Arboretum).

Harvest

Blooms from June until frost, heaviest in full sun (Morton Arboretum, NC State). In late winter or early spring, remove a third of the oldest stems, or cut the whole shrub nearly to the ground every few years to renew a ragged plant (Morton Arboretum, NC State).

Varieties (15)

Pests to watch for

Twospotted spider mite

Diseases and problems

Leaf spot, Powdery mildew

In the kitchen

Safety: No toxicity is listed in the extension sources we used.

Pets: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA lists cinquefoil, Potentilla spp., including shrubby cinquefoil).