Potentilla fruticosa 'Bella Apple' ®

Description and Characteristics

Potentilla fruticosa 'Bella Apple'® is a delightful compact deciduous shrub from the modern Bella series, celebrated for its gentle apple-blossom pink flowers, long blooming season, and tidy, mounded habit. Bred for consistent flowering, neat form, and reliable garden performance, 'Bella Apple'® offers excellent colour for low-maintenance borders, rockeries, and container displays.

Flowering from late spring through to early autumn (typically May to September), this cultivar produces an abundance of soft pink, five-petalled flowers that fade slightly with age, giving a romantic, two-tone effect. The blooms are carried continuously on a background of fine, mid-green foliage, which forms a compact, dome-shaped shrub.

Reaching a mature size of just 30–40 cm in height and spread, 'Bella Apple'® is ideal for smaller gardens, edging paths, and mass planting in sunny beds. Its petite form and long flowering period make it a particularly good option for patio pots, balconies, or gravel gardens.

• Produces soft pink flowers with delicate tones from May to September

• Naturally forms a low, rounded shrub with fine green foliage

• Height & spread: 30–40 cm

• Perfect for containers, borders, rock gardens, and pollinator-friendly planting

• Part of the Bella® Series—selected for uniformity, flower power, and compact growth

Growing Conditions and Maintenance

Potentilla 'Bella Apple'® is exceptionally easy to grow, making it suitable for gardeners of all levels. It thrives in well-drained soil and is especially good in hot, sunny locations where other shrubs may struggle.

• Light Requirements:

  • Prefers full sun for best flowering and compact growth

  • Tolerates light shade, though with reduced flower density

• Soil Preferences:

  • Grows in moderately fertile, well-drained soil

  • Tolerates poor, sandy, and even chalky soils

  • Avoid very heavy or waterlogged soils

• Watering Needs:

  • Water regularly during establishment

  • Once established, it is drought-tolerant

  • In containers, water during extended dry spells

• Feeding:

  • Feed with a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in spring

  • A light mulch can help retain moisture and improve soil health

• Pruning and Maintenance:

  • Minimal pruning required—lightly trim in early spring to maintain shape

  • Remove any dead or woody stems for best performance

  • No need to deadhead—flowers self-clean and rebloom continuously

• Winter Care:

  • Hardy in Zones 4–7 (RHS H7)

  • Fully hardy in the UK and Ireland

  • Deciduous—loses leaves in autumn and re-sprouts reliably each spring

Garden Uses, Companion Plants, and Pollinator Benefits

Potentilla 'Bella Apple'® is ideal for long-lasting seasonal colour in compact garden spaces. Its soft pink blooms provide a gentle contrast to bold foliage and brighten planting schemes from spring through autumn.

• Design Applications:

  • Excellent for border edges, gravel gardens, and front-of-bed planting

  • Great choice for container gardens and small spaces

  • Suitable for mass planting, especially in low-maintenance or xeriscape designs

• Companion Plants:

  • Pairs well with Nepeta, Lavandula, Salvia, Heuchera, and Coreopsis

  • Looks beautiful alongside silver-leaved plants like Artemisia or Stachys byzantina

  • Complements grasses such as Festuca glauca and Stipa tenuissima

• Container Use:

  • Ideal for terracotta pots, troughs, or raised planters

  • Use peat-free, free-draining compost with added grit

  • Feed in spring and water during dry periods

• Pollinator Benefits:

  • Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators

  • Long flowering season ensures continuous nectar availability

  • An excellent addition to wildlife-friendly planting schemes

• Pest and Disease Resistance:

  • Highly resistant to pests and diseases

  • May show mild leaf spotting in humid conditions—ensure good airflow

  • Strong resistance to wind, heat, and salt—suitable for coastal gardens

We currently only deliver within the island of Ireland, other countries can be quoted for by contacting [email protected] or via telephone on 06964084
 

Standard Delivery is FREE on orders over €250*

All standard deliveries will be completed within 5-7 working days via Fastway Couriers, any delay to this delivery time, the customer will be notified by One of our staff.

The in-Store delivery charge will vary compared with online, in-store delivery charge is done on a case by case basis. 

* Only mainland Ireland addresses qualify for free delivery.
 

Live Plants Delivery

Our live plants are packed with care and diligence by our staff, our horticulturists review each plant before despatch to ensure quality is maintained.
Live Plant delivery charges are not calculated on weight but on the space required per package to ensure safe delivery, so delivery charges may vary as some plants require more space than others when packed.
All live plants are despatched within 3-5 working days where possible, our couriers aim to deliver within 48 hours of despatch from our Garden Centre to allow the plant to arrive in healthy condition.
 

Click & Collect

Can’t wait for delivery? Why not try our FREE Click & Collect service? Simply make your purchase online and collect it from our store located in Croagh Co. Limerick. Our staff will contact you by phone when your order is ready for collection (Please allow 24 hours minimum). When collecting your item, call the store on 069-64084. We will then load into your car as required. This service is available in-store 9am – 6pm Monday – Saturday (No collections on Sundays)

Click here for more information about our shipping conditions.

You can pay your online order either by credit card or via Paypal.
If you have any further questions about the online order payment please contact us via ­069 640 84 or mail.