Leaf type: Palmate, lobed, feathered
Phyllotaxis: Alternate
Colour: Green, silvery
Life cycle: Perennial
Leaf (upper side)
Leaf (below)
Habitus & biology
Potentilla argentea is a perennial, deciduous plant that grows flat or upright. Its fingered leaves with toothed edges are tomentose on the underside, while the upper side is mostly green, either matt or glossy. There are also specimens with silvery hairy upper leaf surfaces.
The shoots grow up to 40 centimeters long or high. Spreading is by seeds and short stolons.
Distribution & habitates
The native distribution area includes most European countries and northern Asia. Potentilla argentea is also found as an introduced species in some North American regions (source).
Potentilla argentea grows along roadsides, on gravel paths, in parking lots, in front of walls, in meadows, on embankments, in ditches and also tolerates well-drained soil.
Botany & common names
The hoary cinquefoil is also known as silver cinquefoil, silvery cinquefoil and silver-leaf cinquefoil. In french as potentille argentée, quinquefolio in spanish, in Sweden as femfingerört and in Germany it is called Silber-Fingerkraut.
Potentilla argentea belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae) and is closely related to the strawberries (Fragaria).
