Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Dasiphora fruticosa (Shrubby Cinquefoil; syn. Potentilla fruticosa L., Pentaphylloides fruticosa (L.) O.Schwarz) is a shrub in the family Rosaceae, native to the cool temperate to subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, often growing at high altitudes in mountains. It is a deciduous, much branched flowering shrub growing to 0.1-1 meter tall, rarely up to 1.5 meter. The habit is variably upright to sprawling or prostrate, but stems are often ascending especially those stems with many long branches. The bark of older stems is shreddy with long thin strips. The plants are densely leafy, the leaves are divided into five or seven (occasionally three or nine) pinnate leaflets. The leaflets are linear-oblong, 3-20 millimeter long, with entire margins and more or less acute ends. The foliage (both leaves and young stems) is hairy, variably covered in fine silky, silvery hairs about 1 millimeter long. The flowers are produced terminally on the stems and are 2-3 (-4) centimeter across, buttercup-shaped, with five petals and 15-25 stamens; the petals are pale to bright yellow (orange to reddish in some western Chinese populations). The fruit is a cluster of achenes covered with long hairs. The species is variably dioecious or bisexual; flowering is typically from early to late summer. It is normally found growing in moisture retentive soils in swamps and moist rocky areas.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

4 - 59 in Tall

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow, Orange, Red

Flowering season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low, Moderate, High

Soil description

Does well in moisture retentive soils and moist rocky areas.

Sunset Zones

1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Site type

Meadows, rocks

Plant communities

Alpine Fell-Fields, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Wetland-Riparian

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 2 likely

Confirmed Likely

Purplish Copper

Lycaena helloides