United States Department of Agriculture 

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE 

Invasive Species Technical Note No. MT-17 

December 2007 

Ecology and Management of Sulfur Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta L.) 

Figure 1. Sulfur cinquefoil flowers in early summer.

Abstract 

Native to the eastern Mediterranean region, sulfur cinquefoil was first collected in Montana from 

Ravalli County in 1947. Its distinctive five to seven “fingered” palmately compound leaf and 

sulfur-yellow rose-like flower (see Figure 1) make it easy to find, and the bristly hairs distinguish 

it from the native northwest cinquefoil. Plants are perennial, re-grow from a persistent woody 

base that can persist for ten years or more. A high rate of seed production enables rapid spread 

of sulfur cinquefoil populations. This Category 1 noxious weed can be found on roadsides, 

disturbed pastures and meadows, native rangeland, clearcuts, and other disturbances in most of 

the western counties of Montana. Livestock and wildlife avoid grazing sulfur cinquefoil because 

of the high tannin content of the leaves and stems, and therefore infestations reduce livestock 

carrying capacity as well as wildlife habitat value. 

Herbicides that temporarily reduce sulfur cinquefoil populations include 2,4-D, aminopyralid, 

metsulfuron, and picloram. Applications in the rosette or pre-bloom stages of growth are most 

effective. Tillage will control sulfur cinquefoil on cropland in rotation but follow-up 

management using herbicides may be needed to control re-generating plants. Persistent hand 

pulling and grubbing that removes the woody base will reduce small-scale populations. Mowing 

before bloom will reduce seed production but will not reduce populations. Prescribed fire is 

more likely to increase than decrease populations unless control measures are applied post-burn. 

There are no biological control insects available for management of sulfur cinquefoil. Applying 

practices that encourage competitive desired plants will improve control procedures and reduce 

the spread of sulfur cinquefoil. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 1
PLANT BIOLOGY 

Taxonomy 

Sulfur cinquefoil is in the rose taxonomic family (Rosaceae) along with many closely related 

agriculturally important plants, including cherry, plum, raspberry, and strawberry. The genus 

name Potentilla, applied by Linnaeus in 1753 in his publication Species Plantarum, is from the 

Latin potens, powerful, and refers to the strong astringent properties of some species in this 

genus. There are over 50 Potentilla species in North America. The common name for the genus, 

cinquefoil, refers to the five leaflets of the palmately compound leaves. The genus is also 

commonly called “five-finger.” The species name, P. recta is derived from the Latin root rect

which translates to strait, and refers to the strait, erect stems. Erect cinquefoil, sulphur 

cinquefoil, and roughfruit cinquefoil are other common names for sulfur cinquefoil that are 

derived from stem, flower and seed morphological features. Potentilla sulphurea Lam. is a 

synonym for sulfur cinquefoil, named for the pale, sulfur-yellow flowers. Three varieties of P. 

recta are recognized; P. recta var. obscura (Nestler) W.D.J. Koch, P. recta var. pilosa (Willd.) 

Lebed., and P. recta var. sulfurea (Lam. and D.C.) Peyr. To date, no varieties have been listed in 

Montana. It is believed that Potentilla species do not readily hybridize. However, P. recta, P. 

argentea, and P. norvegica, all considered weedy in Canada, have been implicated in natural 

hybrid crosses, though no crosses are actually known to exist. 

 

Figure 2. Sulfur cinquefoil lateral roots and stout woody caudex. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 2
Figure 3. Sulfur cinquefoil leaf, flowering stem, and seed depiction. 

Identification 

Sulfur cinquefoil is an erect herb that grows from one to two feet (30 - 70 cm) tall. It has a dark 

brown tap root and branched spreading lateral roots that support a stout, woody, persistent stem 

base (caudex, see Figure 2). Basal and stem leaves are palmately compound with five to seven 

coarsely-toothed, leaflets that are longer than they are wide with nearly parallel margins 

(oblong), 1.2 to 1.5 inches (3 - 14 cm) long (see Figure 3). Basal leaves have long petioles. 

Stem leaves are smaller and have shorter petioles than the basal leaves. One to several flowering 

stems grow from buds on the caudex and are branched at the inflorescence, with a central stalk 

and two opposite branches at each node forming a somewhat flat-topped cyme (see Figure 3). 

Each branch terminates with a pale- to sulfur-yellow flower one-half to one inch (1.5 - 2.5 cm) 

across. Flowers have five small, green, linear bracts, five green sepals, five yellow petals, about 

30 stamens with anthers 1 mm long, and many pistils. The sepals, petals, and stamens are fused 

together at the base and form a short floral tube that looks like a cup in cross section and 

surrounds the receptacle baring the pistils. The achenes (seeds) are small (about 1.2 mm), ovate, 

have narrow-winged margins, are dark brown with lighter, prominent, branched ridges that form 

a net-like (reticulate) pattern (see Figure 4). All the above-ground parts of the plant have 

relatively sparse, long (up to 1⁄4 inch, 6 mm), coarse hairs (hirsute-hispid) (see Figure 5). 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 3
Figure 4. Sulfur cinquefoil achenes (seeds) are small (1.2 mm long), dark brown, have 

winged margins and a net-like pattern. Achenes of native cinquefoils are similar but 

without the net-like pattern.

There are three native Potentilla species in Montana with five-leaflet palmately compound leaves 

that could be confused with sulfur cinquefoil. Potentilla quinquefolia is reported from alpine 

and subalpine areas in Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Madison, and Park Counties and is small, only 

reaching 8 inches (20 cm) tall, has three leaflets on the basal leaves, the lower surface having 

grey, tangled, wooly hairs (lanate). Potentilla diversifolia, found in alpine areas in west and 

central Montana, has mainly basal leaves with few leaves along the stem, the flowers have only 

20 stamens, the plant is not hirsute-hispid, and the achene surface is smooth. Sulfur cinquefoil is 

most often confused with northwest cinquefoil, Potentilla gracilis, found in most of Montana’s 

counties. Northwest cinquefoil is variable in its morphological characteristics. It generally has 

fewer leaves along the stem than sulfur cinquefoil, the leaves can, but not always, have white 

wooly hairs on the lower (ventral) surface, or some plants are fuzzy with short hairs (pubescent) 

or appearing without hairs (but never hirsute-hispid), and the achenes are smooth. Because of 

the leaves, sulfur cinquefoil has been confused with hemp, Cannabis sativa. However, hemp 

plants are hairless annuals commonly growing to well over two feet tall, and the flowers are 

small, green, and dioecious. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 4
Figure 5. Stems, leaves and flowers of sulfur cinquefoil showing the hirsute-hispid hairs 

that distinguish this species from similar native Potentilla species.

Life History 

Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial forb classified as a hemicryptophyte, with overwintering buds on 

the caudex at or just below the soil surface (see Figure 2). It does not have vegetative buds on 

roots nor produce rhizomes or stolons, and it is not capable of vegetative reproduction except 

from the caudex where infestations are tilled. The thick, woody caudex also stores energy. 

Individual plants have been aged by counting annual growth rings in the root crown 

(herbchronology); however aging after the sixth year is difficult because the central core may 

disintegrate with age. Estimates based on the diameter of individual plants suggest plants can 

live for 20 years. The average age of sulfur cinquefoil populations in northeastern Oregon was 

3.5 years and ranged from one to ten years. 

New plants grow from caudex buds in early-spring (as early as mid-March) with basal leaves 

that have been described as a semi-rosette (see Figure 6). Floral stems begin growth in May and 

flowering begins in June. On older plants the shoots emerge from the edges of the caudex often 

forming a circle of upright stems. Grasses have been observed to grow in the central area of the 

stems (see Figure 2). Flowering continues as long as soil moisture is adequate to support growth, 

however, plants dry rapidly as soil moisture is depleted. Flowers are believed to be pollinated by 

bees. They can self-pollinate, but cross pollination is more common. Achenes develop in July 

and disperse in late July and August. Most seeds (83%) are dispersed within two feet (60 cm) of 

the parent plant in the direction of the prevailing winds. After fall precipitation, sulfur cinquefoil 

will re-grow basal leaves that last until a killing frost. Research indicates sulfur cinquefoil plants 

can produce seeds during their first year and throughout their life spans at a constant rate, 

enabling rapid colonization after initial establishment. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 5
Figure 6. A sulfur cinquefoil semi-rosette in Gallatin County. The photograph was 

taken in mid-May. 

Seed production from populations of sulfur cinquefoil in the mid-western United States was 

measured at about 60 seeds per flower, and plants averaged 25 flowers per stem, with total seeds 

per plant greater than 1,650. Plants from populations in northeastern Oregon produced about 100 

seeds per flower and from 13 to 30 flowers per stem on average totaling an estimated 6,000 seeds 

per plant. Plants averaged two to five flowering stems. Competition from other plants reduces 

the number of seeds per plant. Seeds are capable of germinating in the fall of the same year they 

are produced. Germination of seeds has been reported as low as 20% and as high as 70%. 

Apparently, germination is stimulated by exposure to light. The length of time seeds survive in 

the soil has not been measured, but it is believed to be at least three years. Little has been 

published about the seedling biology of sulfur cinquefoil. However, seedling survival is low 

when growing under competition with other plants. 

Habitat 

A study of 85 infestations in Montana found sulfur cinquefoil in 31 different habitat types 

including conifer, grassland, shrubland and seasonal wetland eco-systems. It was found on all 

soil textures except silt. It is often associated with spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe). It 

invades native rangeland with low disturbance, shrubland, and open-forested sites. It is 

commonly found on roadsides, clearcuts, abandoned farm fields, waste places and other 

disturbed areas. In abandoned fields, sulfur cinquefoil occurs from the earliest successional 

stages until extensive woody cover dominates. Sulfur cinquefoil is more common and stem 

densities are greater on open sites (29 stems/m2

) sites than sites with 50% canopy cover (1 

stem/m2

), and it does not tolerate shading from a closed canopy forest. It has been found at 

elevations as high as 6,850 feet (2,006 m) in Montana. 

 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 6
Spread 

Sulfur cinquefoil has a wide geographic distribution in North America, Europe, the Middle East, 

Northern Africa, west and central Asia, and Asia Minor, yet mechanisms of long-distance spread 

have not been defined. Probable vectors include people, vehicles, and animals. Livestock and 

wild ungulates likely transport seeds embedded in their fur and in soil on their hooves. Seedeating birds also are vectors. People hiking, riding horseback, or driving all-terrain vehicles may 

transport seeds long distances. Movement of soil containing seeds on equipment, vehicles, and 

shoes is a probable means of long-distant transport. Sulfur cinquefoil seeds can be spread from 

infested hay meadows when plants with flowers are baled in hay. Sulfur cinquefoil has been 

classified as a horticultural plant, and population origins may be from escaped ornamentals. 

Seeds disperse short distances by passively falling from the plants. The seeds are heavy relative 

to their size and they have no distinctive structure for wind or animal dispersal other than the 

narrow-winged margins. Seed-rain patterns suggest populations increase as an advancing front 

more or less in the direction of prevailing winds. 

Impacts 

Sulfur cinquefoil is one of the last plants selected by grazing animals. Utilization on infestations 

in Montana was measured at less than 1% on 98% of sites sampled. Therefore, the impact of 

sulfur cinquefoil on rangeland sites is to reduce carrying capacity for livestock and ungulate 

wildlife. In addition, selection of plants species other than sulfur cinquefoil by grazing animals 

may have the long-term impact of reduced bio-diversity. On infested hay meadows, sulfur 

cinquefoil reduces the quality of hay. 

MANAGEMENT

Herbicidal Control 1/

On pastures and rangeland, sulfur cinquefoil can be temporarily suppressed by aminopyralid, 

metsulfuron, picloram, or 2,4-D. Picloram should be applied at 1 pint product (Tordon®) per 

acre to actively growing plants before bloom or to fall re-growth. Aminopyralid should be 

applied at a rate of 4 to 6 ounces (Milestone®) per acre to plants in the pre-bud stages. 

Metsulfuron should be applied to sulfur cinquefoil rosette plants in the spring (May) at 1 to 2 

ounces product (Escort® or Cimarron®) per acre. A non-ionic surfactant is needed in the spray 

solution at 0.5% by volume for metsulfuron to be effective. Pre-bloom foliar applications of 2,4-

D at 1 to 2 quarts per acre with repeated applications to re-growth can also be used. Glyphosate 

applied at one to two quarts per acre will kill sulfur cinquefoil on cropland or where revegetation is planned. Label information for all herbicides should be carefully followed not only 

for application restrictions but also for restrictions that apply to grazing and harvest of forage 

after application. 

1/

Any mention of products in this publication does not constitute a recommendation by the NRCS. It is a 

 violation of Federal law to use herbicides in a manner inconsistent with their labeling. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 7
Table 1. Chemical and product name, recommended application rate, soil residual half life, and 

eco-toxicity of herbicides commonly used to control sulfur cinquefoil. The eco-toxicity is the lethal 

concentration of the herbicide when applied in a single dose kills 50 percent of the tested organism 

(the lower the number the more toxic the herbicide). Follow label guidelines for rangeland use and 

all other label requirements when applying herbicides to avoid damage to desirable plant species. 

Chemical name Product name Rate 

per Acre 

Half life 

(days) 

Eco-toxicity (LC50/EC50) 

2,4-D Many names 1 to 2 qts. 7 1-10 mg/L 

Aminopyralid Milestone 5 to 7 oz. 30 >100 mg/L 

Glyphosate many names 1 to 2 qts. 32 8.2 mg/L 

Metsulfuron Escort/Cimarron 0.5 to 1.5 oz 14-180 >150 mg/L 

Picloram Tordon 1 pt. 90 10-100 mg/L 

Hand Pulling 

Hand pulling, grubbing, and hoeing may be practical on small populations of sulfur cinquefoil 

and if it is applied persistently can reduce populations. Pulling and grubbing must remove the 

caudex to be effective. Follow-up treatments will be necessary where a persistent seed bank 

exists. 

Mowing 

Mowing if applied before bloom will reduce flowering and seed production. Mowing will not 

reduce populations. Mowing after flowering when seeds have set may increase the spread of 

sulfur cinquefoil. 

Tilling 

Sulfur cinquefoil is not normally a problem in cultivated crop fields because it is controlled by 

tillage procedures that clean crop fields of weeds. However, because the caudex has regenerative 

buds, it is possible to spread sulfur cinquefoil within a crop field and between fields. Seeds are 

also believed to be spread with the movement of soil. Repeated tillage, or an application of 

glyphosate to sulfur cinquefoil plants that regenerate from caudexes or seeds following tillage, 

will reduce its spread on tilled fields. Cleaning tillage equipment of soil that may contain seeds 

or caudexes is recommended after use on fields where sulfur cinquefoil has been growing and 

before use on weed-free fields. 

Prescribed Burning 

Research on native grasslands in Montana showed prescribed fire applied in the spring or fall did 

not kill sulfur cinquefoil plants that were one year old or older. Also, spring and fall prescribed 

fires did not change population densities five years after fires compared to infestations that were 

not burned. This implies that the relatively low temperatures of prescribed fires do not damage 

regenerative caudexes. Temperatures generated by high intensity wild fires may be more 

destructive. Increases in seedlings were measured one year after prescribed fires, but there were 

no differences in seedling densities between burned and not burned areas after five years. 

Seedling densities were greater in spring prescribed burns compared to fall burns five years after 

the fires. Fires on infested sites that do not have competitive plants may increase the 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 8
invasiveness of sulfur cinquefoil. Application of picloram prior to a prescribed fire is likely to 

reduce the residual control on sulfur cinquefoil. Fire favors seed germination and vegetative 

growth and by itself will not control sulfur cinquefoil. Prescribed or wild fire on land infested 

with sulfur cinquefoil should be followed by control treatments such as herbicides and revegetation where needed. 

Grazing Control 

Livestock avoid grazing sulfur cinquefoil. For grazing management to be affective in reducing 

sulfur cinquefoil, animals with a tolerance for tannins (goats) should be confined on the 

infestation. This type of management may need to be followed by seeding of desirable species. 

Prescribed grazing to maintain the health and competitiveness of pasture and rangeland plant 

communities is important in preventing and retarding invasion, and to increase the effectiveness 

of other control treatments. 

Cultural Control 

Plant competition reduces the invasiveness of sulfur cinquefoil and increases the effectiveness of 

controlled applications. Therefore, practices that increase the competitiveness of desirable plant 

species and communities such as conservation crop rotation, conservation cover, and critical area 

planting (for example, after a wildfire) will make the environment less hospitable for sulfur 

cinquefoil to survive and spread. 

Biological Control 

Currently, there are no biological control agents available for management of sulfur cinquefoil 

and availability of agents in the near future is not likely because of the many close native and 

agricultural taxonomic relatives. Five insects have been screened for biological control 

including a root moth (Tinthia myrmosaeformis), a flower weevil (Anthonomus rubripes), two 

gall wasps in the Diastrophus genus, and a gall midge (unidentified). Screening for the root 

moth found that it attacked domestic strawberries and native Potentilla species preventing its 

release in North America. Work on the flower weevil was terminated because its host range is 

too broad. Initial screening on the other three insects found them to be host-specific to sulfur 

cinquefoil but further screening efforts have been suspended. Of the six native beetles and moths 

known to attack sulfur cinquefoil in Montana, three are known pests of strawberry. A rust 

fungus (Phragmidium ivesiae) infects sulfur cinquefoil in the northern Rocky Mountain region. 

Re-vegetation 

Species selected for re-vegetating disturbed sites and sulfur cinquefoil infestations should be 

appropriate for management objectives, adapted to site conditions, and competitive with the 

weed. Management objectives will determine if introduced or native species are seeded and the 

combination of species in the seed mix. The environmental conditions of the site including 

precipitation, soil texture and depth, slope and aspect, will affect species establishment. Refer to 

Montana Plant Materials Technical Note 46, ‘Seeding Rates and Recommended Cultivars,’ and 

Extension Bulletin EB19 ‘Dryland Pasture Species for Montana and Wyoming’ for seeding rate 

guidance and re-vegetation species selection. State and area resource specialists can help 

determine the most appropriate, site-specific species mix and timing of seeding. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 9
In most cases, herbicidal suppression of sulfur cinquefoil is needed for re-vegetation of infested 

lands. The herbicides listed in Table 1 will control sulfur cinquefoil and reduce competition 

during the establishment period with little or no injury to emerging grass seedlings. This is 

especially important for species that are slow to establish like many of the native grasses. 

However, where herbicides have been applied, chemical carryover should be assessed prior to 

planting permanent vegetation, particularly if forbs or shrubs are included in the seed mix. 

Integrated Pest Management 

Integrated pest management is the application of two or more management alternatives so they 

are complimentary in weed suppression, increase the longevity of control procedures, and 

improve crop production or conservation of resources. The integration of multiple management 

practices should be designed based on the stage of sulfur cinquefoil invasion. On small sulfur 

cinquefoil populations in the early phase of invasion, aggressive herbicidal or hand control 

should be combined with cultural practices that strengthen the competitiveness of the plant 

community. In areas with large-scale infestations in the later phases of invasion, first priority 

should be given to herbicide application to eradicate small-satellite populations and to reduce 

spread along the invasion front of the parent population. Second priority should be given to 

reducing the parent population using herbicide management and re-vegetation with competitive 

plants where needed. On grazing lands, prescribed grazing management should be timed to 

maintain the vigor of rangeland plants and prevent sulfur cinquefoil seed spread. On crop and 

hay land in rotation, tillage combined with herbicide treatment will be more effective than either 

treatment applied alone. On disturbed sites, pastures, and rangeland where competitive plants 

have been lost, re-vegetation following control of sulfur cinquefoil will improve the longevity of 

the control application. 

References 

Dwire, K.A., K.G. Parks, M.L. McInnis, and B.J. Naylor. 2006. Seed production and dispersal 

of sulfur cinquefoil in northeast Oregon. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 59: 63-72. 

Lesica, P. and B. Martin. 2003. Effects of prescribed fire and season of burn on recruitment of 

the invasive exotic plant, Potentilla recta, in a semiarid grassland. Restoration Ecology. 11: 

516-523. 

Mitch, L.W. Intriguing world of weeds: Cinquefoils (Potentilla spp.) - five finger weeds. 1995. 

Weed Technology. 9: 857-861. 

Naylor, B.J., B.A. Endress, and C.G. Parks. 2005. Multi-scale detection of sulfur cinquefoil 

using aerial photography. Rangeland Ecology and Management. 58: 447-451. 

Perkins, D.L., C.G. Parks, K.A. Dwire, B.A. Endress, and K.L. Johnson. 2006. Age structure 

and age-related performance of sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta). Weed Science, 54: 87-93. 

Rice, P.M. G.L. 1999. Sulfur cinquefoil In: Sheley, R.L. and J.K. Petroff (eds.). Biology and 

Management of Noxious Rangeland Weeds. Oregon State Press. Pages 350-361. 

NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 10
NRCS−Montana−Technical Note−Invasive Species−MT-17 11

Story, J.M. Sulfur cinquefoil. In: Coombs, E. M., Coombs, J. K. Clark, G. L. Piper, and A. F. 

Cofrancesco, Jr. (eds). Biological control of invasive plants in the United States. Oregon State 

University Press, Corvallis. p. 450. 

Werner, P.A. and J.D. Soule. 1976. The biology of Canadian weeds, 18. Potentilla recta L., P. 

norvegica L., and P. argentea L. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 56: 591-603.