Potentilla simplex
A hardy North American perennial herb in the Rosaceae with creeping horizontal rootstocks, slender arching stems, and palmately divided leaves of five leaflets, producing bright yellow five-petaled flowers from spring to midsummer and spreading vigorously to form low mats in meadows, fields, and disturbed sites across eastern and central North America.
Common Names
Common Cinquefoil, Old-Field Cinquefoil
Summary
Common cinquefoil is native to eastern North America and grows as a creeping, low-growing perennial reaching 6–24 inches; it occupies habitats from part shade to sun, including open woods, old fields, and meadows, with stems and leaves hairy and capable of rerooting at leaf nodes to form dense patches. Distinctive features include palmately compound leaves with five leaflets (leaflets up to 3 inches long) with sharply serrated edges, and yellow flowers with five heart-shaped petals borne on long stalks, with sepals shorter than petals; flowers appear from spring into early summer (April to July).
In cultivation, it prefers full sun to part shade and well-drained loam, tolerates alkaline soils (and mildly acidic) and moist conditions; hardy to USDA zones 3–7. It spreads by long tap roots and stolons that re-root, forming densely matted patches; propagation is by seed or division. It serves well as a groundcover in wildflower plantings, with erosion control potential; provides nectar for bees and butterflies and supports biodiversity in landscapes, making it a low-maintenance option for suitable settings.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
4-24 inches
Spread
3-20 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-7
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained loam soil rich in organic matter.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil.
Soil pH
6.5-6.5
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Slow
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Stem cuttings, Layering (stolons/runners)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Michx.
- Publication
- Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 303 (1803)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Rosales
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Potentilla
Synonyms
Callionia simplex Potentilla simplex var. calvescens Potentilla simplex var. typica Tormentilla simplex Potentilla simplex var. argyrisma Potentilla canadensis var. simplex