# cream cinquefoil (*Drymocallis convallaria*)

The cream cinquefoil is a lovely flower with bright yellow petals. It grows in many places and is often found in fields and gardens, adding beauty to nature.

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

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

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potentilla_arguta.jpg)

## Appearance

The cream cinquefoil has slender, erect stems topped with clusters of small, five-petaled flowers that are a delicate creamy-yellow. Its green leaves are palmate, typically divided into five to seven oval leaflets, often covered in soft, fuzzy hairs.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Despite its delicate flowers, this tough plant loves growing in challenging, stony ground.
- It's a cousin to strawberries, but you won't find any sweet berries on this plant!
- Its scientific name means 'lily-of-the-valley-like dry beauty,' which is quite a mouthful!
- The leaves are often described as shaped like tiny hands because of their five leaflets!

## Special abilities

- **Dry Soil Survivor:** Cream cinquefoil can thrive in dry, rocky soils that many plants avoid, helping it survive harsh conditions.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Its creamy-yellow flowers attract diverse insects like bees and butterflies, helping it reproduce effectively.
- **Clumping Conqueror:** This plant spreads with underground rhizomes, helping it form robust clumps and colonize new ground.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 20-60 cm
- **Spread:** 20-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Yellow-faced bumblebee (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers
- **Pollinates:** [Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady) (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding flower reproduction
- **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses on its leaves and tender stems
- **Eaten by:** [Black-tailed jackrabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tailed-jackrabbit) (*Lepus californicus*) — Graze on its foliage, especially young plants

## Traits

- [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.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't pick flowers unless you have permission.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify cream 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 cream cinquefoil?

20-60 cm

### How wide does cream cinquefoil spread?

20-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on cream cinquefoil?

1-2.5 cm

### When does cream cinquefoil bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is cream cinquefoil edible?

No

### Is cream cinquefoil toxic?

None

### What is cream cinquefoil's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Anarchist Protected Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anarchist-protected-area) — British Columbia, CA · Nature Reserve

## 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: [Cream Cinquefoil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cream-cinquefoil)