SimplePlant

Rosaceae

Varileaf cinquefoil

Potentilla diversifolia Lehm.

Family
Rosaceae
Genus
Potentilla

Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Varileaf cinquefoil: Potentilla diversifolia is common in forest opens in rocky dry sites in the mountains (e.g., often in the subalpine but also lower).
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (1)
English
Varileaf cinquefoil

Synonyms

  • Potentilla campestris Nutt.
  • Potentilla diversifolia var. genuina Th.Wolf

Flowers

Flower colour
yellow (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: native, Canada: native, Greenland: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

More in Potentilla

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.