Potentilla simplex (Common Cinquefoil)

Plant Info

Also known as:
Genus:	Potentilla
Family:	Rosaceae (Rose)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun to part shade; open woods, old fields, meadows
Bloom season:	late spring, early summer
Plant height:	6 to 24 inch creeper
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park Rice Creek Trail Corridor Vadnais/Snail Lake Regional Park

Pick an image for a larger view. Most image enlargements are 50-100KB, though some may be larger. See the glossary for icon descriptions.

Detailed Information

Flower:

A single flower is at the end of a long naked stem that arises at a leaf node. Flowers average about ½ inch across with 5 yellow heart-shaped petals, numerous yellow-tipped stamens that turn red with age, and 5 green pointed-tipped sepals that are shorter than the petals. One plant typically has a few to several flowers.

Leaves and stem:

Leaves are palmately compound in groups of 5, alternately attached and tend to be widely spaced on the stem. Leaflets are up to 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, rounded at the tip, tapering at the base, with the middle leaflet largest. There are large sharply pointed teeth around the edges except at the base, and the underside is hairy to varying degrees. The main stem is also hairy to varying degrees and turns from green to red with age.

Notes:

Common Cinquefoil is a branching, sprawling plant that is typically low to the ground, rarely reaching a foot tall, and can reroot where the leaf nodes touch the ground. There are several cinquefoil species, with similar flowers. Distinguishing features are the length of the sepals relative to the petals, and the number of leaflets. Common Cinquefoil has sepals shorter than the petals, and 5 leaflets.

More photos

• Common Cinquefoil plants, view from the top
• more flowers

Photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN June 2008 and 2009

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Post a comment

Note: All comments are moderated before posting to keep the riff-raff out. An email address is required, but will not be posted—it will only be used for information exchange between the 2 of us (if needed) and will never be given to a 3rd party without your express permission.

For info on subjects other than plant identification (gardening, invasive species control, edible plants, etc.), please check the links and invasive species pages for additional resources.

Your Name:

Your email address: (required)

Where in Minnesota?

Comment:

Note: Comments or information about plants outside of Minnesota will not be posted because I want to keep the focus of this web site on Minnesota. Thanks for your understanding.