Tall Cinquefoil
Drymocallis arguta
Tall Cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta) is a native perennial with upright, sticky-hairy stems, leaves of 7 to 11 toothed leaflets, and tight clusters of creamy-white, five-petaled flowers. It blooms June into August on prairies and in open woods, and its range includes South Dakota and Wyoming. Photographed in the Black Hills.
Free photos from other sources
| Family | Rosaceae · Rose |
|---|---|
| Status | Native perennial |
| Blooms | June into August |
| Height | 30–90 cm (12–35 in) |
| Where | Prairies, open woods, woodland edges and roadsides |
| Also called | Prairie Cinquefoil, White Cinquefoil, Tall Drymocallis, Wood Beauty, Tall Wood-beauty |
| Synonym | Potentilla arguta |
| Note | Tall and Leafy Cinquefoil are easy to confuse, because their flower colors overlap: Tall runs white to pale yellow, and Leafy pale to bright yellow. Check the clusters and height too. Tall has tight clusters on stems 30–90 cm (1–3 ft), and Leafy has wide-open flowers on shorter stems. The 1986 Jewel Cave survey lists both. |
Roots, seeds & germination
Root: Rhizomes (underground stems) with a stout taproot.
Seed: Many small, light brown achenes (dry one-seeded fruits) about 1 mm long, held in the cup of dried sepals until wind shakes them out. Old fruiting stems can last through winter.
Germination: Seed needs about 60 days of cold, moist treatment plus light, so fall sowing on the surface works.
How do you identify Tall Cinquefoil?
Look for creamy-white flowers, 1.3–2 cm across, packed in tight clusters with only a few open at a time, sharp green sepals about as long as the petals, and sticky-hairy stems. Most leaves grow near the base, with 7 to 11 toothed leaflets. Leafy Cinquefoil has yellow petals, flowers that open wide, and shorter stems, mostly 15–35 cm.
When does it bloom?
June into August.
Where does it grow?
Prairies, open woods, woodland edges and roadsides, in sun to part shade and dry to moderately moist soil.
Other flowers to compare
Sources: Minnesota Wildflowers: Tall Cinquefoil; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Potentilla arguta; Kansas Wildflowers: Tall wood-beauty; Friends of Eloise Butler: Prairie Cinquefoil; Putnam Park Wildflowers, UW-Eau Claire: Drymocallis arguta; Flora of North America: Drymocallis fissa; SDSU Open PRAIRIE: Potentilla arguta; Marriott and Hartman 1986, A Survey of the Vegetation of Jewel Cave National Monument.