Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Near Yellow Jacket Canyon, June 8, 2006.

Shrubby Cinquefoil is the longest flowering of mountain shrubs in the Four Corners area, usually bearing flowers for three months.  In the wild it grows to about three feet tall and wide.  It is commonly planted as an ornamental and with abundant water it will grow to 5 feet tall and wide and flower for over four months.  The plant is very common, especially in high mountain meadows where the plant gets the moisture it needs.

Stems are long, slender, red/brown, and arch gently as they elongate.  The plant pictured at left is about four feet tall and wide.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Near Yellow Jacket Canyon, June 6, 2004.

"Dasiphora" is Greek for "hair bearing" and perhaps refers to the hairy bark and hairy seeds.  The genus Potentilla and species fruticosa were named by Linnaeus in 1753.  Frederick Pursh renamed the plant Potentilla floribunda in 1814,  O. Schwartz named the plant Pentaphylloides fruticosa in 1949, A. Love named it Pentaphylloides floribunda in 1954, and John Kartesz renamed it Dasiphora floribunda.  Colorado plant authority William A. Weber, believes Pentaphylloides floribunda was classified as a Potentilla for so long "purely as a matter of tradition".

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Near Yellow Jacket Canyon, June 8, 2006.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Near Yellowjacket Canyon, May 25, 2004.