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Common Cinquefoil

Potentilla simplex

Last reviewed: August 2026

Common cinquefoil is a low-growing forb that blooms yellow from May through July. It thrives in part sun with medium moisture and often spreads along woodland edges, meadows, and roadsides.

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)
Photo: Jennifer Anderson. United States, IA, Jackson Co., McNeil Preserve. 2002. / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for dogs or cats (aspca.org (opens in new tab), last reviewed 2026-05-21). If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

part sun

Water

medium

Size

6"–18" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

May, Jun, Jul

Native to

AL, AR, CT, DE and 30 more states

Pollinators

bees, beetles

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Cross TimbersSouth Central PlainsEastern Temperate ForestsOzark HighlandsCentral Irregular PlainsPiedmontWestern Corn Belt PlainsNorthern Lakes and ForestsNorth Central Hardwood ForestsDriftless AreaSoutheastern Wisconsin Till PlainsCentral Corn Belt PlainsEastern Corn Belt PlainsSouthern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift PlainsHuron/Erie Lake PlainsNortheastern HighlandsNortheastern Coastal ZoneNorthern Allegheny PlateauErie Drift PlainNorthern ForestsMiddle Atlantic Coastal PlainNorthern PiedmontSoutheastern PlainsBlue RidgeRidge and ValleyCentral AppalachiansWestern Allegheny PlateauInterior PlateauInterior River Valleys and HillsMississippi Alluvial PlainMississippi Valley Loess PlainsAcadian Plains and HillsEastern Great Lakes LowlandsAtlantic Coastal Pine Barrens

Common cinquefoil is a low-growing native wildflower with five-petaled bright yellow flowers and distinctive five-leaflet leaves. It spreads by runners to form a groundcover mat, blooming reliably through late spring and summer. This hardy perennial tolerates various conditions and provides long-lasting color in partially sunny areas.

Growing Common Cinquefoil

Grow Common Cinquefoil in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 6 to 18 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Common Cinquefoil takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

  • Spreads aggressively and can look weedy
  • May be mistaken for common weeds
  • Goes dormant in winter leaving bare patches

Wildlife value

The cheerful yellow flowers attract native bees and beneficial beetles throughout the growing season. Its low spreading habit also provides shelter for small beneficial insects.

Common questions

When does common cinquefoil bloom?
Common cinquefoil produces small yellow flowers from May through July, with peak flowering typically in June.
What pollinators visit common cinquefoil?
Bees and beetles are the primary visitors to the small yellow flowers of common cinquefoil.
How much sun and water does common cinquefoil need?
Common cinquefoil grows best in part sun with medium moisture, though it tolerates brighter full-sun sites and drier soils once established.
What is the growth habit of common cinquefoil?
It is a low, spreading forb with trifoliate leaves and slender stolons that form loose mats along the ground.
Is Common Cinquefoil toxic to dogs?
Common Cinquefoil is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for dogs (aspca.org).
Is Common Cinquefoil toxic to cats?
Common Cinquefoil is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for cats (aspca.org).
Is Common Cinquefoil HOA-friendly?
Common Cinquefoil takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

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