noun

• A plant of a genus that includes the cinquefoils, especially (in gardening) a small shrub with bright yellow, red, orange, or pink flowers.

  Genus Potentilla, family Rosaceae: many species

  ‘Rugged shrubs like barberry and potentilla give the garden permanent structure, while the rocks help protect the plants from searing winds and keep the soil from drying out.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The fragrance garden features plants whose scents come from their flowers or leaves, while the medicinal garden includes healing types such as purple coneflower, potentilla, and willow.’
  • ‘There is also a big selection of azaleas and rhododendrons as well as other shrubs such as potentilla.’
  • ‘A hawk hid under the potentilla bush and leaped suddenly on an overconfident prairie dog a little too far from its burrow.’
  • ‘Items stolen have included potentilla bushes, arabis and fuchsias.’