# common cinquefoil (*Potentilla simplex*) Common cinquefoil is a cheerful yellow flower that grows in many places. Its pretty petals and green leaves make it a lovely sight in fields and gardens. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![common cinquefoil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Potentilla_simplex.jpg&width=800) Photo: Frank Mayfield, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potentilla_simplex.jpg) ## Appearance The common cinquefoil is a low-growing plant with slender, often creeping stems. It has bright yellow, five-petaled flowers, about an inch wide, and distinctive palmate leaves divided into five serrated leaflets, resembling a tiny hand. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Potentilla ## Interesting facts - Despite its delicate look, it can survive being walked on and quickly bounces back! - In some cultures, it was once used in magic potions for protection and good luck! - Its bright yellow flowers follow the sun, turning their faces towards the light all day! - The name 'cinquefoil' means 'five leaves' in old French, for its five-part leaves! ## Special abilities - **Ground Gripper:** Common cinquefoil can send out creeping stems called stolons, helping it quickly spread and cover ground. - **Deep Drinker:** This plant has a strong taproot that helps it find water deep in the soil during dry spells. - **Low Profile Protector:** Its low-to-the-ground growth helps it avoid being mowed or eaten, staying safe from harm. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-50 cm - **Spread:** 30-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its nectar and pollen provide food for this common bee. - **Eats:** [Pallid-winged grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pallid-winged-grasshopper) (*Trimerotropis pallidipennis*) — This common grasshopper may graze on its leaves and stems. - **Eats:** [Eastern cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) — Its leaves and stems are a food source for this rabbit. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [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. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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 pick flowers without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common 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 common cinquefoil? 10-50 cm ### How wide does common cinquefoil spread? 30-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on common cinquefoil? 1-2 cm ### When does common cinquefoil bloom? Spring to Summer ### Is common cinquefoil edible? Yes ### Is common cinquefoil toxic? None ### What is common cinquefoil's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Brett Woods Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brett-woods-open-space) — Connecticut, US · Park - [Copicut Woods](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/copicut-woods) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Gensburg-Markham Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gensburg-markham-prairie) — Illinois, US · Nature Reserve - [New Boston Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-boston-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Rockdale Common Housing District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rockdale-common-housing-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Salmon Falls (West) Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/salmon-falls-west-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District [View all places to see common cinquefoil](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-cinquefoil) ## 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*) --- Source: [Common Cinquefoil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-cinquefoil)