Shrubby Cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosa
Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) is a native bushy shrub with small, narrow, hairy leaflets, bark that turns red and shreds with age, and five-petaled yellow flowers. It blooms June into August on hillsides and in meadows and canyons of western South Dakota, and it grows on exposed ridges in the Black Hills. Photographed in the Black Hills.
| Family | Rosaceae · Rose |
|---|---|
| Status | Native shrub |
| Blooms | June into August |
| Height | 20–100 cm (8–39 in) |
| Where | Hillsides, meadows, canyons and exposed ridges; open, sunny sites |
| Also called | Bush Cinquefoil |
| Synonym | Potentilla fruticosa, Pentaphylloides floribunda, Pentaphylloides fruticosa, Dasiphora floribunda, Potentilla floribunda |
Roots, seeds & germination
Root: Shallow to moderately deep, spreading, thin woody roots. Stems lying on the ground can root.
Seed: A cluster of light brown, hairy, egg-shaped achenes (dry one-seeded fruits), each under 2 mm long, ripening August and September. The heads may last through winter, and wind spreads the seed.
Germination: Seed has a dormant period and is often hard to germinate, so fall sowing is recommended. Laboratory germination has ranged from 55% to 82%.
How do you identify Shrubby Cinquefoil?
Look for a woody, bushy plant with shredding reddish bark on older stems. Leaves have 3 to 7 narrow, smooth-edged leaflets 10–20 mm long, with scattered white hairs above and denser gray hairs beneath. Yellow petals are 6–13 mm long, on single flowers or small clusters.
When does it bloom?
June into August.
Where does it grow?
Exposed ridges in the Black Hills, and hillsides, meadows and canyons elsewhere in western South Dakota. In one Black Hills ponderosa pine community, with snowberry and woodland strawberry, it is the most common plant growing under the trees. It flowers most in nearly full sun. It is also a common garden shrub in the state and often escapes nearby.
Other flowers to compare
Sources: Forest Service Fire Effects Information System: Dasiphora fruticosa subsp. floribunda; SDSU Open PRAIRIE: Dasiphora fruticosa; Marriott and Hartman 1986, A Survey of the Vegetation of Jewel Cave National Monument.