Happy Face® White Potentilla

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

2-3 Feet

Growing Zones

2 to 7

While you will typically find yellow and pink potentilla on the market for sale, we now have a beautiful pure white potentilla, Happy Face, that sports larger than usual flowers on densely compact dark green foliage. This startling contrast makes the flowers pop out at you from afar, and if you aren’t currently growing this in your garden, you will wander up close to it to find out what this beautiful shrub could possibly be. You are going to want this happy, vigorous growing shrub in your garden bed or landscape. It is so easy to care for and maintain!

Native to North America including Canada, Europe, and in Northern Asia, this cool climate perennial shrub can be found on mountain sides as well as meadows. Hardy in Zones 2 through 7, Northern gardeners can rejoice as this potentilla is perfect for your climate, and Coastal gardeners can rejoice as it is also salt tolerant as well. Deer typically don’t browse on it and it tolerates a wide variety of soil types: rocky, clay, alkaline, dry or poor soils. Give it well draining moist fertile soil, though, for best performance in your landscape. Mass plant this hardy shrub for an outstanding urban or residential display and mix it freely with your annuals for all summer long blooms.

Happy Face® White Potentilla Care

This is a fairly carefree shrub. Plant it in full sun with a little afternoon shade appreciated in hot summer months. It will withstand abnormally cold temperatures, flood conditions and is easy to get established in your garden. Dig a hole about 1 ½ times the size of the root ball and amend the native soil with a little well composted organic material. Cover over with up to 2 inches of mulch to help retain moisture. It grows best in a soil with a pH average of 5.0 to 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral. Apply a rose fertilizer (8-12-4) early in the spring or at time of planting and you should not have to fertilize again for the year. Once established, you should only have to water in extremely dry periods as potentilla are typically drought tolerant.

Prune the plant in late winter, removing the oldest woody branches. Up to â…“ of the volume of the plant can be pruned to keep it in shape. Flowers will develop on new wood, so prune before it breaks dormancy and begins leaf production for best flowering. In extremely harsh or long winters, add 3 to 6 inches of mulch to protect the root zones. If planting in containers for your patio, use a container wide enough to resist being blown over by the wind, and add a water soluble fertilizer and a regular watering schedule to your care and maintenance of this shrub. Potentilla adapt well to a variety of habitats and are a great erosion control shrub with the benefit of looking great while working hard for you.

Happy Face® White Potentilla Spacing

Space plants 36 to 48 inches apart for best air circulation and room to grow. Mature plants will top out at about 36 inches tall and wide. Plant in a hedge row, as a border or massed out in your landscape for the greatest visual appeal. This hardy cold tolerant shrub is also available in a peppermint pink and white flower, Happy Face Pink Paradise Potentilla and would look great in combination with this lovely color variant.

SKU:

POTWL