Potentilla verna ‘Nana’

Perennial of the Rosaceae family, Potentilla verna — today most often associated with Potentilla neumanniana — is a species widely spread in Europe, from plains to mountainous areas, on dry lawns, rocky grounds, sunny slopes, and open edges, generally on well-drained substrates, often calcareous. The 'Nana' cultivar is a compact form selected for rock garden cultivation.

It forms a tight, very low cushion, barely a few centimeters high, consisting of small, bright dark green palmately lobed leaves, finely cut. In spring, the flowering is so abundant that the foliage almost entirely disappears under the flowers.

These are bright yellow, with five broad, slightly notched petals, borne individually on very short stems. In its natural habitat, the species blooms from March to May depending on exposure and altitude. In cultivation, 'Nana' blooms from early spring, sometimes in February-March under mild conditions.

It is content with ordinary well-drained soil, in full sun. Robust and with no particular requirements, it tolerates poor and dry soils once established, and is suitable for rock gardens, walls, and borders.