Potentilla 'Abbotswood'

Pépinière Lemay Nursery

$29.99
Title

A classic garden favourite, this tidy shrub is a continuous fountain of snowy white blooms from early summer right until the first frost. Its delicate, strawberry-like flowers pop beautifully against a dense backdrop of fine-textured, blue-green foliage. Perfectly mounded and exceptionally hardy, it brings a clean, crisp "cottage garden" feel to any landscape while remaining remarkably tough and easy to care for.

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Plant Details

Mature Size:

3' H x 3' W

Zone:

2-7

Watering:

Low to Medium

Foliage Type:

Deciduous

Growth Rate:

Moderate

Light:

Full Sun

Plant Profile

Common Names:

Abbotswood Potentilla, Bush Cinquefoil, Shrubby Cinquefoil

Scientific Name:

Potentilla fruticosa ‘Abbotswood’ (syn. Dasiphora fruticosa)

Type:

Ornamental Shrub

Growth Details:

  • Mature Size: 2–3 feet tall and 2–3 feet wide.
  • Growth Habit: Compact, bushy, and rounded.
  • Form: Mounded and dense.
  • Growth Rate: Medium.
  • Longevity: Approximately 20–30 years.

Environmental Needs:

  • Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade.
  • Soil Preferences: Thrives in rich, loamy soils but is not picky.
  • Soil Tolerance: Handles rocky, sandy, and alkaline soils with ease.
  • Watering: Regular watering during the first season; highly drought-tolerant thereafter.

Special Features:

Extremely Hardy; Deer & Rabbit Resistant; Drought Tolerant; Salt Tolerant; Long Blooming Period.

Care Guide

Ornamental & Landscape Value

Seasonal Interest:

  • Bloom Information: Large, pure white flowers from June through October.
  • Fall Colour: Foliage may take on a faint yellow or brown tint before dropping.
  • Bark: Older stems feature attractive, shredding reddish-brown bark.
  • Fruit: Small, inconspicuous brown achenes.

Garden Value:

Excellent for low hedges, mass plantings, rock gardens, and foundation borders. Its long bloom time makes it a perfect "filler" plant for season-long colour.

Wildlife & Human Value:

  • Wildlife Value: A magnet for butterflies and bees throughout the long summer months.
  • Human Value: Ideal for fire-wise landscaping (low flammability) and providing reliable colour in difficult, high-traffic, or salt-prone areas.

Planting & Care Guide

Planting Considerations:

  • Best Time To Plant: Spring or Autumn.
  • Spacing: 2–3 feet apart for a seamless hedge or massing.
  • Location Tips: Avoid overly soggy sites; it loves open, airy locations with good drainage.

Care:

  • Light Requirements: Best in full sun for maximum flower production, though it accepts light shade.
  • Moisture Requirements: Prefers moist, well-drained soil but is famously adaptable to dry conditions once established.
  • Maintenance & Fertilization: Very low maintenance; an early spring feeding with a balanced slow-release fertilizer will boost the summer bloom show.

Tolerances:

Cold, drought, salt, and poor soil.

Tips For Success:

For the best shape, "rejuvenate" the plant every few years by pruning it back to about 6 inches from the ground in late winter. Deadheading is not necessary but can encourage even more prolific flowering.

Fruit Profile