Potentilla simplex

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Potentilla simplex, also known as common cinquefoil or old-field cinquefoil, is a perennial plant in the rose family. It grows in eastern North America, from Ontario, Quebec and Labrador south to Texas, Alabama, and the panhandle of Florida. The plant has low, spreading stems that root at the nodes, yellow flowers with five petals, and leaves with five leaflets spread like fingers on runners. Flowers bloom from March to June, and seeds form from April to July. It is commonly found in woodlands, fields, and disturbed areas. Along with Potentilla canadensis, it often indicates poor soil and it can host the cinquefoil bud gall wasp (Diastrophus potentillae). Pollinators include many bees (such as mason bees, small carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, and halictid bees), as well as syrphid and tachinid flies, blow flies, and some wasps and butterflies. Rabbits and groundhogs eat the foliage. Young shoots and leaves are edible in salads or as a pot herb. Conservation status: Secure.