Potentilla fruticosa 'Mount Townsend'
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SHRUBBY CINQUEFOIL
Family: Rosaceae
Pronounced: poe-ten-TIL-ah froo-tih-KOE-sah
GROWING GUIDE
Geographic Origin:
Pacific Northwest.
Plant Group:
Deciduous shrub.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 4-17.
USDA zones: 4-8.
Mature size:
Height: 6 - 18 inches (15 - 45 cm).
Flowering period:
Summer into early fall.
Flowering attributes:
Semi-double to double yellow buttercup-like flowers.
Leaf attributes:
Deciduous, pinnate to trifoliate, green leaves.
Light:
Full sun (tolerates shade).
Soil:
Moist, well-drained soil.
Propagation Methods:
Softwood cuttings in early summer.
Pruning Methods:
Late autumn to mid-winter.
Rainy Side Notes
Potentilla fruticosa ‘Mount Townsend’ is a little shrub discovered in 1994, growing on the side of Mt. Townsend in the Olympic Mountains of Washington state. It grows very slowly and I have yet to see a need to prune mine after growing it for seven years. I grow only one specimen, but I believe this plant would look better in a grouping or as an edging plant. One lone specimen gets lost in my garden. The semi-double to double, buttercup-yellow flowers are the reason I grow this small native shrub.
Debra Teachout-Teashon
Photographed in author's garden.
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