Sulphur Cinquefoil

Potentilla recta

Not native to Kentucky

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Kentucky.

Potentilla recta — whole plant photograph — (c) Dmitriy Bochkov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph · iNaturalist medium image; no additional crop, retouching, or re-encoding.

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)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

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)

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Rosaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH: Alkaline
Flower color: Yellow

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

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Sulfur cinquefoil has 1 to several slender, erect, hairy stems that are 8 to 30 inches (20-80 cm) tall.” · Fire Effects Information System: Potentilla recta · Source botanical description; original units and scope retained
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Sulphur Cinquefoil

Conservation status

Kentucky rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
KY status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources