Potentilla fruticosa Bella Sol - Shrubby Cinquefoil

Potentilla fruticosa 'Bella Sol' is a lively orange-flowering twin of the lovely 'Bellissima'. Like its counterpart, this very recent variety brings a breath of fresh air to the world of shrubby potentillas. It stands out for its naturally compact and beautifully rounded habit that requires no pruning, as well as for the vibrant and long-lasting colour of its large flowers, which are a bright orange turning to yellow-orange. This shrub delivers a long-lasting flowering period, highlighted by its dense dark green foliage. Easy to grow, very hardy, and low-maintenance, this shrub fits anywhere, in flower beds as well as in large pots on the patio. It is a highly rewarding plant, and almost fail-proof in well-drained soil.

Potentilla fruticosa is a woody shrub belonging to the Rosaceae family, just like roses. The Bella Sol variety 'Hachdon' was obtained and selected recently in Germany by Holger Hachmann. It is therefore an especially hardy shrub. Bella Sol has a bushy and rounded habit with particularly dense foliage. When mature, the plant will measure about 60 cm (24in) in all directions. Its slender branches, brown in colour and peeling with age, bear deciduous foliage that disappears in winter. The small size of the leaves, divided into narrow leaflets, gives a beautiful lightness to the dark green silhouette. A slight white hairiness on the underside of the leaves gives a silky and slightly silver appearance. Its delicate flowers, rather large for the species, are shaped like 4 cm (2in) wide cups, with beautiful bright orange petals evolving towards yellow-orange, without fading in the sun. At the heart of the flower are golden stamens. The abundant flowering, starting in June and lasting throughout summer, is generally more intense at the beginning of the period, then loses some of its vigour during the season, depending on the moisture of the soil.

In full sun, potentillas will produce flowers with more vibrant colours, in partial shade the colour will be slightly less intense. Easy plants, generous and beautifully coloured, potentillas are ideal for brightening up the garden or balcony. With their Scottish rose-like appearance and their very modest requirements, they can be used in multiple ways and installed anywhere: in flower beds, rockeries, borders, low hedges, containers.....under most climates and in any well-drained soil. 

The Bella Sol potentilla will have a beautiful effect when paired with Dahlias, shrubby salvias, yarrows, Gaura, thistles, perennial flax, oriental poppies, or large daisies. It is ideally associated with Mediterranean plants (Lavender, Rosemary, Rockrose, Fennel, Helychrisum, Teucrium) for a warm and fragrant atmosphere. To create a very graphic scene, it can be combined with plants with a more slender or tousled habit (Phormiums, Grasses, Euphorbias). On a slope or rockery (where it is better placed if your garden soil is heavy and clay) it will blends with dwarf or creeping Conifers, creeping Ceanothus, or groundcover and landscape Roses. Potentillas make absolutely stunning large borders in front of a screen of evergreen shrubs (Abelia, Boxwood, Holly, Mahonia, Japanese spindle tree) that will take over in winter.