Cinquefoil (12)
Cinquefoil, the Potentilla genus, is large and can be found in a variety of habitats and life zones. All have five, mostly yellow petals, most have an orange spot at the base of the petal, so are very similar. The leaves differentiate. Some species hybridize making identification difficult. Here are a few. See also Cream Cinquefoil.
Silverweed Cinquefoil
Potentilla anserina (Argentina anserina)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Silverweed
Photo taken on:
June 25, 2005
Location:
Brush Creek, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Plains to subalpine
Habitat:
Moist areas
Low growing with creeping, red runners. Leaves have many pairs of toothed leaflets that are silvery underneath. Flowers are about ¾" across with five, sometimes more, petals. They grow on a single stalk from a node in the runner which has taken root. It can look as if the flowers sprouted out of the ground all by themselves if you don’t notice the runner and the leaves several inches away.
Flora of North America reference.
Elegant Cinquefoil
Potentilla concinna
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Early Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
April 25, 2007
Location:
Almont Triangle, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to subalpine
Habitat:
Meadows and roadsides
Grows only a few inches high. It has dark green, toothed leaves with long, cottony hairs underneath. They are divided finger-like into leaflets which have notched tips and edges curved upwards. Flowers bloom early, often before the leaves are fully formed.
Flora of North America reference.
Varileaf Cinquefoil
Potentilla glaucophylla (P. diversifolia)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Blueleaf Cinquefoil, Different-leaved Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
July 23, 2005
Location:
Scarp Ridge, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Subalpine to alpine
Habitat:
Moist areas
Grows to 20". Leaves are divided into bluish-green, finger-like, toothed leaflets.
Flora of North America reference.
Leafy Cinquefoil
Drymocallis fissa (Potentilla fissa)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Bigflower Cinquefoil, Wood Beauty
Photo taken on:
July 8, 2004
Location:
Lower Loop, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Rocky slopes and roadsides
Grows up to 12" with leafy, sticky stems. Flowers grow in clusters and look like buttercups.
Flora of North America reference.
Shrubby Cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa (Dasiphora fruticosa ssp.
floribunda)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Potentilla, Bush Cinquefoil, Golden Hardhack
Photo taken on:
June 26, 2004
Location:
Almont, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to subalpine
Habitat:
Moist, open areas
A many-branched shrub growing to 3 feet with shredding bark. The leaves are grayish-green and five-lobed but are smaller and thicker than the herbaceous cinquefoils. Blooms from June to August.
Flora of North America reference.
Slender Cinquefoil
Potentilla gracilis
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Graceful Cinquefoil, Fivefinger Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
July 21, 2018
Location:
Almont, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Plains to subalpine
Habitat:
Meadows, forest openings,
roadsides
Grows to 28" high, mostly erect. The leaves are divided, finger-like into 5 to 7 toothed leaflets with hairy, but not silvery, undersides. Flowers are ½" across. Compare to P. pulcherrima.
Flora of North America reference.
Woolly Cinquefoil
Potentilla hippiana
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Silvery Potentilla, Horse Cinquefoil, Hipp's Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
July 24, 2007
Location:
Texas Creek, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to montane
Habitat:
Dry meadows and slopes
Grows to 20" with leaves that are divided into 3 to 6 pairs of shallow toothed leaflets. The top of the leaves are green or silvery, the bottom, densely silvery, hairy. Flowers are ½" across with notched petals separated by pointed, hairy, green sepals.
Flora of North America reference.
Norwegian Cinquefoil
Potentilla norvegica
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Rough Cinquefoil, Strawberry Weed
Photo taken on:
July 20, 2021
Location:
Cement Creek, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills and montane
Habitat:
Moist areas, disturbed
soil
Grows to 2 feet high. Growth is erect with branching in the upper part and mostly stem leaves. Stems are hairy. Leaves are divided into three leaflets and are coarsely toothed. The flowers are about ½" across with hairy sepals longer than the petals.
Flora of North America reference.
Paradox Cinquefoil
Potentilla supina subsp. paradoxa (P. paradoxa)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Diffuse Potentilla, Bushy Cinquefoil, Sand Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
September 23, 2013
Location:
Abiquiu Lake, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Moist or wet areas, lake shores, sand bars
Growth is sprawling or erect with many branches and flowers. The leaves are divided into pairs of leaflets and are coarsely toothed. The flowers are less than ½" across and have leafy bracts.
Flora of North America reference.
Prairie Cinquefoil
Potentilla pensylvanica
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Pennsylvania Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
July 10, 2008
Location:
Almont, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills to subalpine
Habitat:
Rocky areas and roadsides
Grows to 2 feet high. Leaves are
mostly basal, divided into 3 to 5 pairs of leaflets, deeply cleft,
hairy, greenish on top, grayish
underneath and velvety to touch. Flowers are clustered at the top of the
stem with hairy sepals.
Flora of North America reference.
Beautiful Cinquefoil
Potentilla pulcherrima (P. gracilis variety pulcherrima)
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
July 7, 2018
Location:
Ohio Creek Valley, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Montane to subalpine
Habitat:
Meadows and roadsides
Grows to 2 feet usually leaning. The leaves are dark green on top with silvery hairs on the underside, and are divided into sharply toothed leaflets. The edges of the leaflets often curve upwards. The leaves of the similar P. gracilis have less dense silvery hairs underneath. Flowers are ¾" across.
Flora of North America reference.
Brook Cinquefoil
Potentilla rivalis
Family:
Rose (Rosaceae)
AKA:
River Cinquefoil
Photo taken on:
July 17, 2022
Location:
Blue Mesa, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Foothills and montane
Habitat:
Moist ground near lakes and streams
Leafy stems grow to 2 feet long. 
Leaves and stems
are smooth or have soft hairs. Lower leaves have 5 to 7 leaflets, upper
leaves have 3, all are coarsely toothed. The numerous flowers are about ¼" across with
pointed bractlets and sepals longer than the tiny pale yellow petals. Shown here growing in masses on the exposed bed of
Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Flora of North America reference.