Overview & Description

The Yellow Gem Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa ‘Yellow Gem’) is a low-growing, spreading cultivar prized for its exceptionally long blooming period. It forms a dense mat of small, ferny, grey-green to olive-green foliage, providing a fine-textured backdrop throughout the season. Introduced by the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden, it produces a profusion of cheerful, bright yellow, buttercup-like blooms from late spring until frost. This hardy, award-winning shrub is a magnet for bees and other pollinators.

Growth & Size

This variety exhibits a dense, multi-stemmed, prostrate to mounded growth habit. It is a slow-growing, compact shrub, typically reaching a mature size of about 12 to 24 inches in height with a spread of 18 to 36 inches. It can be expected to live for approximately 30 years under ideal conditions.

Additional Notes

It blooms continuously from late spring through early fall. Exceptionally cold-hardy to Zone 2, it is drought-tolerant once established, low-maintenance, and adaptable to a wide range of well-drained soils, though it dislikes wet conditions. It thrives in full sun, is tolerant of urban pollution, and is resistant to deer and rabbits. An outstanding choice for mass groundcover, rock gardens, low borders, or where non-stop colour and tough, reliable performance are desired.