Potentilla newberryi
Newberry's cinquefoil
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Potentilla newberryi (Newberry's cinquefoil) is a native California herb in the Rosaceae family, recognized by . Annual habit, small overlapping leaflets, cream flowers, and curved fruiting stalks.
Newberry's cinquefoil is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in receding shoreline habitats at elevations of 1,300 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces cream-colored flowers 3 to 5.5 millimeters long in many-flowered clusters with pedicels that curve downward in fruit. Growing with prostrate to decumbent stems 10 to 40 centimeters long, it spreads with ascending to spreading hairs. Its pinnate basal leaves have 4 to 8 leaflets on each side, with individual leaflets 3 to 10 millimeters long and irregularly toothed more than halfway to the midvein. The fruit is small, brown, and veined, measuring 1 to 1.5 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species. Annual habit, small overlapping leaflets, cream flowers, and curved fruiting stalks.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Receding shorelines
Elevation: 1300-2200 m
California counties: Modoc, Siskiyou
Outside California: to Washington, Nevada
Bloom period
Potentilla newberryi blooms May-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
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 newberryi native to California?
Yes. Potentilla newberryi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Potentilla newberryi bloom?
Potentilla newberryi blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Potentilla newberryi grow?
Potentilla newberryi occurs in Modoc, Siskiyou, at elevations of 1300-2200 m.
What plant family does Potentilla newberryi belong to?
Potentilla newberryi is in the Rosaceae family, genus Potentilla.
Is Potentilla newberryi rare or endangered?
Potentilla newberryi carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S2S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.