Potentilla thurberi ‘Monarch’s Velvet’ (Scarlet Cinquefoil ‘Monarch’s Velvet’)

I grew this hardy clump-forming perennial from seed which I bought from Thompson & Morgan in 2020 & I’ve since split each plant into 3 or 4 clumps.

It is drought tolerant & is attractive to pollinating insects as it has nectar/pollen rich flowers, preferring well drained conditions & full fun, but is tolerant of partial shade.

It flowers prolifically as you can see from the number of buds in the photos.

It makes an excellent cut flower, they reach up to 50cm in height. Coming from the Rose family, the flowers appear initially deep red & fade to scarlet / deep raspberry with very dark centres. The foliage is bright green palmate leaves, slightly fury (& strawberry like).

It’s suitable for containers or borders & is fairly pest & disease resistant.

A great perennial to grow from seed…why grow annuals time & time again when you can just grow once with a perennial? It is much more sustainable. Why buy a perennial if you’ve got the time to grow it from seed & potentially have 20-40 plants for the price of 1?

Do you grow many perennials from seed? I’d love to know…

@just.me.in.my.garden