Sulfur Cinquefoil
Potentilla recta
Description
Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial herb with a woody rootstock that produces several erect stems that are one to three-feet in height. The stems are hairy, stout, leafy, and unbranched up to the inflorescence. The leaves are compound and hairy with five to seven toothed leaflets, and the flowers are flat-topped with five light yellow petals surrounding a dark yellow center.Habitat
Open grasslands, shrubby areas, open forests and logged areas, roadsides, waste areas, forest margins, abandoned fieldsDistribution
Northeastern Oregon, throughout Washington, northern IdahoImpacts
Dominates native plant communities, decreases native plant diversity, may hybridize with native cinquefoil speciesDispersal Methods
Winds, animals, humans, vehiclesPrevention
As sulfur cinquefoil is difficult to spot when not flowering, survey for the pre-flowering or flowering from late May to late June in pastures, unmanaged grasslands, roadsides, and railroad right-of-ways. Dig up isolated or small populations and monitor the site for several years. Prevent seeds from spreading by cleaning off vehicles, shoes, and animals that have been in infested areas.Listings
ODA's B ListFactsheets
King County Noxious Weed Control Program Fact Sheet
Photos
Distribution Map
Distribution in Washington
Distribution in Idaho
Other Links
Best Management Practices from King County's Noxious Weed Control Program
Element Stewardship Abstract from The Nature Conservancy's Global Invasive Species Initiative