About
Potentilla 'Congo' is a cultivated selection within the genus Potentilla, a group commonly called cinquefoils. It provides an extended summer display, flowering from June to September. As with many Potentilla, the flowers are typically yellow and sit above the foliage on short stems. The cultivar is used for its long flowering run rather than for foliage colour or showy fruit.
About the genus
Potentilla is a genus containing over 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae.
Wikipedia contributors, "Potentilla", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Potentilla
In the garden
Potentilla 'Congo' sits within the Potentilla genus, a large group of herbaceous cinquefoils in the rose family. The genus contains many annual, biennial and perennial types and is widespread across northern continents; this cultivar follows the genus pattern of producing numerous blooms through the warm months. Expect reliable bloom from June to September. Position Potentilla 'Congo' where it receives good light and where soil drains freely; these conditions suit most cinquefoils and help sustain a long flowering period. Remove spent flowers through the season to encourage continued bloom, and reduce the previous season’s growth in late winter or early spring to refresh the clump. Avoid waterlogged sites, as prolonged wet at the roots can suppress flowering. In a UK garden Potentilla 'Congo' works well at the front of mixed borders, along gravel paths or in low-maintenance summer schemes where extended flowering is wanted. Planting in groups will strengthen the summer display; cut back the flowered stems after September to tidy plants and allow space for fresh spring shoots.
From the Fenn Plants journal
- Notes on DaffodilsWhen to plant daffodil bulbs in the UK, how deep, how to naturalise them in grass, why daffodils stop flowering (“blindness”), and why you should never mix cut daffodils with other flowers.
- Keeping Your NerveHow to garden through a heatwave — the best time to water, why deep soaks beat daily sprinkles, caring for pots and vulnerable plants, and why you can let the lawn go brown.
- Made to LastHow to clean, store and protect garden pots and planters — the frost-proof vs frost-resistant difference, winter care for terracotta and ceramic, and how to reuse a broken pot.
More in the Potentilla genus
- Potentilla 'Flamenco'cinquefoil 'Flamenco'
- Potentilla 'William Rollison'Cinquefoil
- Potentilla Megalantha CinquefoilCinquefoil
- Potentilla argyrophylla
- Potentilla atrosanguineadark crimson cinquefoil
- Potentilla nepalensisNepalese cinquefoil
- Potentilla nepalensis 'Master Floris'Nepal Cinquefoil
- Potentilla nepalensis 'Roxana'Nepal cinquefoil 'Roxana'