About
Potentilla delavayana is a species within the genus Potentilla (family Rosaceae) that flowers in the UK from June to September. It sits in a group of mainly herbaceous plants whose blooms are commonly yellow and whose leaves are often palmate. The Potentilla genus occurs widely across the northern continents. Fruit on Potentilla species is typically dry and inedible.
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 delavayana belongs to the Potentilla genus in the rose family, a large group of mainly herbaceous species distributed across the northern continents. Members of the genus commonly produce yellow flowers and palmate leaves; this species follows the same summer-flowering pattern, producing its display between June and September. Allow the summer bloom period to guide siting and maintenance. A free-draining position with good light will best show the flowers; avoid prolonged waterlogging. After flowering, cutting back spent stems tidies the plant and encourages fresh growth for the following season. Apply a light mulch in autumn where winters are cold to moderate soil movement through freeze–thaw. Use Potentilla delavayana where a summer display of small, usually yellow flowers is wanted: it suits gravel areas, open mixed borders and planted rock faces where the blooms can be seen close to eye level. Its habit and modest foliage make it a useful element for filling gaps in summer schemes without overwhelming taller perennials. Do not expect edible fruit from this species, as Potentilla fruit are generally dry and inedible.
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'