Potentilla fruticosa Mandarin Tango - Shrubby Cinquefoil

The Mandarin Tango Shrubby Cinquefoil is a particularly floriferous and easy-to-grow variety, with bright orange and yellow flowers. It naturally forms a dense and branching bush, in the shape of a ball, without the need for pruning. Its single flowers, appear almost continuously from late spring to autumn. This plant, with its dark green foliage and beautifully coloured flowers, will bring a touch of cheerfulness to borders, rockeries, and balconies. Easy to cultivate, it is suitable for all gardeners, even beginners!

The Shrubby Cinquefoils are native to the northern hemisphere and belong to the large botanical family Rosaceae. This family gives us most of our temperate climate fruit trees (Apple, Pear, Plum, Apricot, Peach, etc.), as well as many ornamental plants (Hawthorn, Cotoneaster, Rose of course, Photinia, Prunus...) and numerous wild plants that brighten up our countryside. Potentilla fruticosa is a shrub that has produced, with the help of breeders, a certain number of charming varieties. 'Mandarin Tango' is a Canadian selection attributed to Dr. W. Ronald of Jeffries Nurseries (in Winnipeg). It is mainly distinguished by its flowers, with a dominant orange hue, with touches of yellow in the form of a central vein on each petal (sometimes diffusing to the edge). These cheerful and bright flowers appear in late spring, have a slight dip in summer, and the appear again until autumn. Wider than tall, this shrub measures approximately 60 cm (24in) in all directions when mature. Its deciduous foliage is composed of 3 cm (1in) long, pinnate leaves with narrow leaflets. The abundant flowers appear in May-June and finish in October, if the weather permits, with a slight dip in August before the resurgence in September. This low-growing shrub is not very demanding in terms of soil type, being able to grow in a wide pH range. Its only requirement is well-drained soil, and it can tolerate both moist soil and some drought (although some summer watering will be welcome to support  its flowering).

By placing it at the forefront of your flower beds, this Mandarin Tango Cinquefoil will be perfect for quickly obtaining brightly coloured flower beds, reminiscent of impressionist paintings. It will look stunning alongside perennials such as White-flowered Gauras that bloom at the same time, or paired with Daylilies, whose wide range of summer floral colours allow you to create a pastel or more contrasting display according to your taste. For a low-maintenance flower bed throughout the season, opt for the beautiful Spiraea cinerea Grefsheim, whose graceful branches are covered with white flowers in April-May.  Raspberry Sundae Hybrid Deutzia, with its white flowers from April to June and with the tips of the petals tinged with pinkish-purple, will also be a perfect companion planted just behind our little Cinquefoil. To finish the season in beauty, nothing beats Henry Eilers Subtomentose Black-eyed Susan, whose yellow sun-like flowers will enchant your flower bed from August to November.