Potentilla fruticosa Bella Bianca - Shrubby Cinquefoil

Easy to grow, this Bella Bianca Shrubby Cinquefoil offers a very long flowering period for several months. Its beautiful white flowers renew themselves from June to October, making it a very attractive plant for the edges of flower beds. Adapting to most growing conditions and highly resistant to cold, this small shrub spontaneously forms a very decorative ball with bright flowers. Well suited for container gardening to brighten up a balcony, this Cinquefoil has many qualities.

Potentilla fruticosa is a woody shrub that belongs to the large and important family Rosaceae, which provides us with so many ornamental species (Roses obviously, but also Photinia, Cotoneaster, Amelanchier...) as well as most of our temperate climate fruit trees (Pear tree, Apple tree, Cherry tree, Peach tree, Apricot tree, Plum tree...). The genus Potentilla includes two major groups, herbaceous plants like the Spring Cinquefoil in our countryside, and shrubby species.
The 'Bella Bianca' variety belongs to this second group of woody plants. It is a very recent creation (introduced to the market in 2019) by the German breeder Holger Hachmann, who operates the family nursery inherited from his grandfather in the Pinneberg region, northern Germany. It is a compact shrub that offers a very long-lasting flowering period, starting in June and lasting until October. This makes it a valuable plant in the garden, especially since it is very easy to cultivate, thus satisfying even novice gardeners. Its lovely single flowers with 5 petals, are quite large ,3-4 cm (1-2in), and pure white, enhanced by a yellow stamen centre. These flowers create a bright spot in the garden, particularly appreciated on cloudy and dark days. It is loved by bees and butterflies, making it not only decorative but also useful. Its deciduous foliage is green, consisting of small narrow leaves measuring 2 to 3 cm (1in), which highlight the flowering.
This shrubby Cinquefoil forms a rounded dome of approximately 60 cm (24in) in diameter in about ten years. It is perfect for the edges of a flower bed, highlighting the edge of a pathway, or enhancing a small slope. It will also make a superb flowering pot if you decide to plant it in a container on your balcony or patio. It grows well in most garden soils, with a neutral pH or even in moderately calcareous soil, in full sun or partial shade. Once established, it is relatively drought-resistant, although it will always appreciate some water in summer. However, it requires good drainage, as it does not like to be in waterlogged soil in winter. That is practically its only requirement, as it is a very accommodating plant, requiring little more than a light annual pruning.

The Bella Bianca Cinquefoil will have a beautiful effect when combined with small colourful shrubs that are just as easy to grow. Choose plants with staggered flowering times to enjoy a colourful scene all year round. At the beginning of the season, Prunus triloba 'Multiplex', a small almond tree, will enchant you with its very pink double flowers, like pompoms in February to April.  Deutzia elegantissima Rosealind will follow suit with its abundant pink flowering in May-June, preceding that of our little Bella Bianca Cinquefoil.  To accompany it during the summer, you will have a wide choice among the numerous varieties of Butterfly Bushes, which are loved by butterflies, the vibrant Lagerstroemias, also known as Crepe Myrtles, or the astonishing Marsh Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) with gigantic flowers. In cold climates, you can replace them with Hibiscus syriacus, available in a wide range of white, pink, or blue varieties...