Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Potentilla nepalensis 'Melton Fire'
Melton Fire Cinquefoil
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Height
- 18 to 24 inches
- Width
- 18 to 24 inches
- Flower color
- Bright scarlet red flowers with darker crimson centers
- Foliage color
- Medium green palmate leaves with softly toothed leaflets
- Bloom time
- Early summer to late summer
- Light
- Full sun to light partial shade
- Water
- Moderate moisture in well drained soil with good drought tolerance once established
- Maintenance
- Low; cut back after flowering to encourage rebloom and tidy growth
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 5 to 8
- Wildlife
- Attracts bees and butterflies
About this plant
Potentilla nepalensis 'Melton Fire' produces vivid crimson red flowers with darker centers from early to midsummer, often continuing into early fall. Each five petaled bloom is held above softly hairy, strawberry like green foliage, creating a long season of color in borders and open garden spaces.
This selection traces back to Himalayan origins, where the species occurs in mountain regions of Nepal and northern India. Garden bred forms such as 'Melton Fire' retain the species' adaptability and clump forming habit, emerging in spring, flowering through the warm months, and dying back with autumn frost before returning the following year.
Works well in
Borders · Cottage Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Waterwise Gardens · Containers
Companion plants
Ferns · Astilbes · Foxgloves · Bergenias · Sedums · Columbines
Design tip
Summer flowers carry the middle of the season, so place it where the bed needs color once spring bulbs fade. Because it is easy about light, use it to carry a planting from a sunny end of the bed into the shadier side.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
