Potentilla gracilis

Common Names

Graceful Cinquefoil, Slender Cinquefoil, Fivefinger Cinquefoil, Northwest Cinquefoil, Western Cinquefoil, Slender Potentilla

Summary

Potentilla gracilis, commonly called slender cinquefoil or Graceful Cinquefoil, is a perennial herb native to North America. It forms tufts or clumps with multiple stems, typically 1–2 feet tall, and carries palmate leaves divided into 5–7 leaflets with white-woolly undersides and green upper surfaces. Loose clusters bear bright yellow, five-petaled flowers in early to mid-summer, with leaves and stems described as hairy; the plant grows in meadows, grasslands, open forests, roadsides, and similar habitats from low elevations to montane zones. In cultivation, slender cinquefoil prefers full sun to light shade and moist to well-drained soils, with drought tolerance once established and hardy in zones 3–7. It is deer resistant and can reseed under optimum conditions; commonly used in ornamental borders, wildflower meadows, cottage gardens, and restoration efforts, and can spread by underground rhizomes. Propagation is by seed or division; it is not considered invasive.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

12-24 inches

Spread

12-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-7

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun; tolerates Partial Shade but will not grow in Full Shade

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

6.5

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Green to grayish-green foliage

Fall Foliage Color

Pink, Orange, Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators attracted.