pruning After the first flush of
blooms winds down in mid- to late July,
foliage declines and plants look unruly,
so trim them hard at this time and
water well. Fresh foliage and an encore
of blooms will follow. Cut them again
when flowering ceases for the season,
and a tidy mound of frost-resistant
leaves will form, keeping plants
looking thrifty until the worst of
winter cold descends.
other maintenance Nepal
cinquefoil is a long-blooming peren-
nial for cool-summer climates. It
struggles where nighttime summer
temperatures are regularly above 65°F.
Full sun and good drainage are
essential, and although it possesses
decent drought tolerance, regular
irrigation will prevent the foliage
browning that occurs when plants are
stressed. Potentilla nepalensis is
short-lived if left in place year after
year, but if dug up and divided every 2
or 3 years, it will continue to contrib-
ute its cheery blossoms to the summer
garden. Tall plants may flop in rich soil,
though generally not unattractively.
Staking isn’t much help; choose
compact cultivars like ‘Ron McBeth’ if
the relaxed look isn’t for you.
related plantS ‘Melton Fire’, ‘Miss
Willmott’, and ‘Ron McBeth’ are the
most common selections of Potentilla
nepalensis found at nurseries.
Potentilla atrosanguinea, ruby cinque-
foil, is similar in habit and culture and
offers single and double flowers in
more intense flower colors, like
flame-red, orange, and yellow. ‘Gib-
son’s Scarlet’, ‘Vulcan’ (deep red),
‘William Rollinson’ (orange with a
yellow eye), and ‘Flamenco’
(orange-red) are some of the more
popular P. atrosanguinea cultivars.Potentilla nepalensis
‘Miss Willmott’