Plot & PetalField ManualAll plants
Shrubby cinquefoil
Dasiphora fruticosa (L.) Rydb.
Pet & Human Safety
People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
ASPCA has a genus page, "Cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.)", listing it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. That is a whole-genus page, not one specific to this species. ASPCA is the only source we found, and one source is not enough to call a plant safe for pets, so it is not assessed as safe. Keep pets from eating it.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonCare
- Hardiness zones
USDA 2a-7b per NC State tags (NC State's text says best planted in zones 3 to 7 and that it struggles in the humid Southeast); zones 2-6 per Morton Arboretum (Chicago region); hardy to USDA zone 2 per Oregon State
- Light
Prefers full sun for best flowering; will grow in part shade (NC State).
- Water needs
low low is a plain-language reading of NC State and Morton Arboretum: drought tolerant and suited to hot, dry sites, but needs good drainage and does not tolerate permanently wet areas. Always finger-test two inches down.
- Mature size
US: NC State: 2-4 ft tall and 3-5 ft wide; Morton Arboretum: 1 to 4 ft high and wide; Oregon State: 2-4 ft tall and similar width; UK: Trees and Shrubs Online: a deciduous shrub up to 3 or 4 ft high, sometimes prostrate
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonField Doctor
Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox - Dasiphora fruticosa (shrubby cinquefoil; also listed as Potentilla fruticosa)
- Oregon State University Landscape Plants - Dasiphora fruticosa
- Morton Arboretum - Shrubby cinquefoil
- Trees and Shrubs Online (International Dendrology Society) - Dasiphora fruticosa
- Kew POWO/WCVP - accepted-name record
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list