Sulfur Sinquefoil (Potentilla recta L.)

Identification

Sulfur cinquefoil is a member of the Rose family. It is a perennial that can grow up to 1-1/2 feet tall with well developed root-stocks. Flowers are light yellow with 5 petals. Leaves are sparsely hairy and appear green on the underside as in many Potentilla species. They are palmately compound with 5 to 7 toothed leaflets on each leaf.

In Europe, to relieve toothache pain, the plants were boiled in vinegar and the solution was put in the mouth.

Sulfur cinquefoil is often found in disturbed areas including roadsides and pastures. But, undisturbed areas aren’t immune, colonies of sulfur cinquefoil have been observed in those areas as well.