Sphaeromeria potentilloides var. potentilloides

Cinquefoil tansy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Cinquefoil tansy is a California native perennial found in northern and central Sierra Nevada and Great Basin mountain meadows and hot springs at elevations of 1,300 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact clusters of 4 to 20 heads about 4 to 5 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it features delicate leafy branches that spread in an open, airy pattern. Its leaves are distinctively divided, with basal leaves typically 2 to 3-pinnately split and cauline leaves pinnately divided, creating a feathery, intricate foliage texture. The plant forms compact clumps in mountain meadows, with finely cut leaves that give it a delicate, lacy appearance.

Habitat: Uncommon; mountain meadows, hot springs, generally not alkaline areas

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1300-2100 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SNH, GB

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.