# Carpet Cinquefoil (*Potentilla supina*)

Carpet Cinquefoil is a small, low-growing plant with bright yellow flowers. It loves to grow in sunny places and can often be found in fields and meadows, making the ground look cheerful.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Carpet Cinquefoil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Potentilla_supina1_eF.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potentilla_supina1_eF.jpg)

## Appearance

The Carpet Cinquefoil has small, bright yellow, five-petaled flowers atop slender stems. Its pinnate leaves have deeply cut, toothed leaflets. It grows low to the ground, forming a spreading mat.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Rosales
- **Family:** Rosaceae
- **Genus:** Potentilla

## Interesting facts

- Its scientific name, 'supina', means 'lying down', describing its low-growing habit.
- Some people traditionally used this plant for its hidden medicinal properties.
- The word 'cinquefoil' comes from French, meaning 'five leaves'!
- This tough plant is a relative of yummy strawberries, both in the Rose family!

## Special abilities

- **Ground Hugger:** Carpet Cinquefoil can spread its stems low to the ground, helping it colonize open spaces quickly.
- **Seed Survivor:** Carpet Cinquefoil has seeds that can remain viable in soil for many years, waiting for the right moment to sprout.
- **Disturbance Dweller:** Carpet Cinquefoil thrives in disturbed soils, helping it quickly establish in new or disrupted areas.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 20-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar, helping the plant reproduce.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Feeds on nectar and assists in pollination.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails may graze on its tender leaves.

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Carpet Cinquefoil?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Carpet Cinquefoil?

5-20 cm

### How wide does Carpet Cinquefoil spread?

20-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Carpet Cinquefoil?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Carpet Cinquefoil bloom?

Summer

### Is Carpet Cinquefoil edible?

No

### Is Carpet Cinquefoil toxic?

None

### What is Carpet Cinquefoil's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Carpet Cinquefoil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/carpet-cinquefoil)