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Key characteristics

Family: Rosaceae
Height: 24 to 30 inches
Width: 18 to 24 inches
Flower color: Deep velvety maroon red flowers with dark centers
Foliage color: Soft green finely divided foliage forming a loose upright clump
Bloom time: Early summer to late summer
Light: Full sun to light partial shade
Water: Moderate moisture in well drained soil; drought tolerant once established
Maintenance: Low; cut back spent stems after flowering to promote continued bloom and maintain shape
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 8
Wildlife: Attracts bees and butterflies

Perennials

Potentilla thurberi 'Monarch's Velvet'

Monarch's Velvet Cinquefoil

Potentilla thurberi 'Monarch's Velvet' forms a clump of finely divided green foliage that creates a light, textured presence in the garden. From early to midsummer, often extending into late summer, deep red velvety flowers with a darker central eye rise on slender stems above the leaves, each five petaled bloom adding sustained color over many weeks.

Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, the species grows naturally in upland meadows and mountain slopes.

Light

Full sun to light partial shade

Water

Moderate moisture in well drained soil; drought tolerant once established

Bloom time

Early summer to late summer

Find this plant

Works well in

Borders
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens
Waterwise Gardens

Companion plants

Hellebores · Hardy geraniums · Hostas · Ferns · Astilbes · Foxgloves

Design tip

The long summer show pairs well with plants that peak earlier, keeping one area interesting for months. It takes sun or light shade, which makes it useful along the changing light of a bed edge or a partly shaded border.