Potentilla gracilis
Slender cinquefoil, Slender Cinquefoil
(c) Alan Covington, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Covington · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Potentilla gracilis (Slender cinquefoil) is a native California subshrub in the Rosaceae family.
Slender cinquefoil is a California native perennial found in diverse habitats across California's mountain and foothill regions. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow flowers in small clusters with delicate, five-petaled blooms. Growing with ascending stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall and forming tufts from short, thick rhizomes, it has a graceful, clumping growth habit. Its distinctive palmate leaves feature 5 to 9 oblanceolate leaflets, each with approximately 13 to 23 even teeth along the margins. The plant's small fruits are light brown and nearly smooth, measuring 1 to 1.5 millimeters in length.
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Nevada, San Diego, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Tulare, Shasta, Mono, Ventura, Fresno, Del Norte, Tuolumne, Los Angeles, Riverside, Lassen, Siskiyou, Inyo, Modoc, Lake, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Tehama, Alpine, Plumas, Placer, Mendocino, Butte, Sierra, Trinity, Amador, Glenn
How to tell it apart
vs Drymocallis: Potentilla styles stay thread-thin throughout; Drymocallis styles are swollen in the middle like tiny clubs.; vs Fragaria: Potentilla typically has 5+ leaflets; Fragaria has three leaflets.; vs Argentina: Potentilla leaves are green on both sides; Argentina leaves are silvery-white beneath.; vs Ranunculus: Potentilla has compound leaves with distinct leaflets; Ranunculus typically has lobed or divided leaves.; vs Rubus: Potentilla is herbaceous with dry seed clusters; Rubus is woody-stemmed with compound berry fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Potentilla gracilis native to California?
Yes. Potentilla gracilis is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Potentilla gracilis grow?
Potentilla gracilis occurs in Humboldt, Nevada, San Diego, San Bernardino, El Dorado, Tulare, Shasta, Mono and other counties.
What plant family does Potentilla gracilis belong to?
Potentilla gracilis is in the Rosaceae family, genus Potentilla.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Potentilla gracilis var. elmeri — Elmer's cinquefoil
- Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata — Slender cinquefoil
- Potentilla gracilis var. flabelliformis — Cupform leaf cinquefoil
- Potentilla gracilis var. gracilis — Graceful cinquefoil
- Potentilla grayi — Gray's cinquefoil
- Potentilla hickmanii — Hickman's cinquefoil
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.