# Potentilla incana

Potentilla incana, also known as silvery cinquefoil, is a lovely plant with soft, silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers. It grows close to the ground and adds a splash of color to meadows and fields.

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

![Potentilla incana](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Potentilla_incana_sl2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stefan.lefnaer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potentilla_incana_sl2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Potentilla incana has small, vibrant yellow flowers with five rounded petals. Its distinctive leaves are palmate, often appearing silvery or grey-green due to a dense coat of fine, soft hairs.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Even its stems are sometimes fuzzy, like a soft teddy bear!
- It can bloom for many weeks, showing off its yellow petals!
- Its silvery leaves shimmer like tiny moonlit patches!
- The word "Potentilla" means 'little powerful one' in Latin!

## Special abilities

- **Tough Root Anchor:** Potentilla incana can grow deep roots that help it find water and stay firmly anchored even in rocky or poor soils.
- **Ground Hugger:** Potentilla incana often grows low to the ground, which helps it avoid strong winds and capture more warmth from the sun.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 20-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Efficiently pollinates its small yellow blossoms.
- **Eats:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails might graze on its leaves.

## 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.
- [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.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants unless you have an adult with you.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Potentilla incana?

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 Potentilla incana?

10-30 cm

### How wide does Potentilla incana spread?

20-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Potentilla incana?

1-2 cm

### When does Potentilla incana bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is Potentilla incana edible?

No

### Is Potentilla incana toxic?

None

### What is Potentilla incana's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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: [Potentilla incana: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/potentilla-incana)