Beat the Heat with Potentilla

Potentilla may be a common landscape plant in cold climates, but they’ve remained popular for a good reason. The newest varieties from First Editions®, Crème Brûlée and Lemon Meringue, are no exception. These varieties were bred on the Canadian plains, giving them cold hardiness to zone 2, yet they have the heat tolerance to survive and thrive in the warm summers of the Upper Midwest without losing flower power or becoming disease-ridden. Crème Brûlée (pictured above) brings a beacon of double, white flowers to the garden that stand out against the dark foliage. This shrub is a bit more upright, maturing to 3′ – 3.5′ tall. Also a double flower, Lemon Meringue (pictured below) has lovely light yellow flowers that are reminiscent of a rose. This variety is a bit more mounded, maturing to 2′-3′ tall and wide. Both varieties maintain their shape with very little, or no, pruning, adding to their ease of garden performance.