Quercus

Dwarf Cinquefoil

Potentilla canadensis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Potentilla

  • Ancylis floridanaStrawberry Leafroller
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Pyrgus centaureaeGrizzled Skipper
  • Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
20BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Potentilla

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Potentilla

  • Andrena melanochroa
  • Panurginus potentillae
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
8BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Potentilla

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
  • Spizella breweriBrewer's Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Flies 1
  • Cistogaster occidua

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 1
  • Phyciodes tharos

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 1
  • Leionotus clypeatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rosaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Dwarf Cinquefoil

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources