Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Potentilla

Species:

Potentilla biennis

USDA Symbol:

POBI7

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Annual | Biennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

60 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

yellow

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

As a biennial colonizer, it often establishes in post-fire disturbed areas from seed bank.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

good drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

often found in meadows and along streams

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Germination Time:

14–42 days

Notes:

Seeds may germinate readily without stratification but cold treatment improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI