McKay's White Potentilla
McKay's White Potentilla
A Tough Little Shrub With Creamy-White Summer Flowers
McKay's White Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa 'McKay's White') brings soft, creamy-white flowers to the bulletproof potentilla, blooming from early summer until frost on a compact, mounded shrub. Its clean white color blends with any scheme. Extremely cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant, it's a reliable, long-blooming choice for sunny borders, foundations, and boulevards in Edina, Woodbury, and Maple Grove.
McKay's White Potentilla Plant Details
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Potentilla fruticosa 'McKay's White' |
| Mature Size | 2–3 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide |
| Hardiness Zone | 2–7 (Twin Cities is zone 4b–5a — fully hardy) |
| Light | Full sun to light part shade |
| Bloom Time | Early summer until frost |
| Flower Color | Creamy white |
| Soil | Adaptable — tolerates clay, poor soil, and dry sites |
| Winter Hardiness | Reliable well below -40°F — exceptionally hardy |
| Deer Resistance | Rarely browsed by deer |
Landscape Uses in Minnesota
Long-blooming foundation shrub: Its compact size and months-long bloom suit foundations, low hedges, and border fronts. Space 2–3 feet apart.
Tough sites and pollinators: Thrives in hot, dry, lean spots and feeds bees all summer. Pair with catmint, coneflower, and grasses.
Best Time to Plant in Minnesota
Plant in spring (late April–May) or early fall (late August–mid September). Very adaptable; water through establishment.
How to Plant McKay's White Potentilla
Dig a hole twice the root ball width at the same depth, mixing in compost. Set the crown level, backfill, water well, and mulch 2–3 inches deep. Space 2–3 feet apart.
Watering McKay's White Potentilla
First year: Water deeply every 2–3 days at first, then weekly. Stop 2–3 weeks before the ground freezes.
After year one: Very drought-tolerant — water only during extended dry spells. Shear lightly in spring to keep it dense.
Q: How long does it bloom?
From early summer until frost — one of the longest-flowering shrubs you can grow.
Q: Will it survive a Minnesota winter?
Easily — reliable to zone 2.
Q: Is it deer-resistant?
Yes — deer rarely browse potentilla.
Q: How do I keep it looking good?
A light spring shear keeps it dense and blooming well.
You May Also Like
Abbotswood Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa): Another clean white-flowered potentilla.
Catmint (Nepeta): A deer-resistant blue partner for sunny spots.
Coneflower (Echinacea): A native pollinator companion.
How Many McKay's White Potentilla Do I Need?
For a low hedge or border edging, space plants about 2.5 feet apart (mature width is 2–3 feet):
| Run Length | Plants Needed |
|---|---|
| 5 ft | 3 plants |
| 10 ft | 5 plants |
| 20 ft | 9 plants |
| 30 ft | 13 plants |
On a hot boulevard strip or at a mailbox, a staggered drift of 3 at 2.5-foot spacing reads as one long-blooming white mound.
McKay's White Potentilla Season-by-Season in Minnesota
- Spring: Leafs out with small, fine-textured green foliage — potentilla wakes a bit late, so don't worry in April. Give it a light shear now to keep the mound dense.
- Summer: Creamy-white flowers open in early summer and just keep coming, feeding bees through the hottest, driest weeks without extra water.
- Fall: Bloom continues right up to frost — often the last shrub in the yard still flowering in October.
- Winter: Drops its leaves to a fine twiggy mound that shrugs off cold to zone 2 — no protection, no winterkill worries.
At a Glance
✔ Pollinator-Friendly ✔ Deer-Resistant ✔ Drought-Tolerant
Plant It With
- Abbotswood Potentilla — a fellow white-flowered potentilla for doubling down on the clean, cool look.
- Mango Tango Potentilla — orange-red blooms that pop against McKay's white in the same tough, sunny bed.
- Pink Beauty Potentilla — soft pink flowers on the same bulletproof frame for a pastel mix.
- Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass — upright golden plumes behind the low white mounds, equally drought-tough.
Is McKay's White Potentilla Right for Your Yard?
If you have a hot, sunny, lean spot — a boulevard, a south foundation, a bed the hose never reaches — this shrub will bloom there from June to frost while deer walk past it. It's not a fit for shade or soggy ground, and like all potentillas it looks like plain brown twigs all winter, so give it summer-blooming neighbors rather than a marquee front-entry spot.