Potentilla palustris
marsh cinquefoil
Overview
Potentilla palustris is a sprawling, rhizomatous perennial in the rose family, also known as Comarum palustre, growing 8-18 inches (20-45 cm) tall with trailing stems that root at the nodes and extend 12-36 inches (30-90 cm) across shallow water and wet mud. The pinnate leaves carry five to seven toothed, oblong leaflets 1-2.5 inches (2.5-6 cm) long, grey-green above and paler beneath. From June through July, star-shaped flowers open singly or in small clusters; each flower is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across with five broad, pointed sepals in deep maroon to purple-red that are larger than the five narrow, dark red petals between them. The flowers are followed by a head of dry seeds. Lower stems are woody and reddish. The plant spreads steadily by floating and creeping rhizomes and can colonize the margins of still water. It dies back to the rhizome in winter and tolerates seasonal flooding.
Native Range
Native across the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America from Alaska and Canada south to the northern United States. Grows in bogs, fens, marshes, wet meadows, and the margins of lakes and slow streams in acidic, waterlogged soils.Suggested Uses
Planted in bog gardens, pond and stream margins, and rain gardens at 18-24 inch (45-60 cm) spacing, set in wet soil or shallow water. Used in wetland restoration and wildlife plantings. Spreading rhizomes can overtake smaller marginal plants in confined water features.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 1'6"
Width/Spread1' - 3'
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers from June through July, occasionally into August in northern sites. Individual flowers last about a week; the flowering period extends 4-6 weeks. Bloom is sparser in deep shade or where water levels drop in summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
Maroon to purple-redFoliage Description
Grey-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade in permanently wet, acidic soil, including shallow standing water to about 4 inches (10 cm) deep at pond margins. Tolerates seasonal flooding and waterlogged ground that few perennials accept. Declines in soils that dry out, where foliage yellows and stems die back early. Spreads by creeping rhizomes that extend across open mud and shallow water, forming colonies. Aphids occasionally gather on flower stems. Spreading growth can be lifted in spring to limit its extent.Pruning
Lift and remove rhizomes in spring to control spread at pond margins. Cut dead stems to the base in late autumn or early spring. No other routine pruning is needed.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
early spring
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 3 gallons