Fivefinger Cinquefoil
Potentilla gracilis
Rose Family (Rosaceae)

Flower: Yellow, five petals that alternate with the sepals, five small bracts that also alternate with the sepals

Blooms: June to August

Leaves: Palmate, fan-like with 5 to 7 toothed, finger-like leaflets

Stem: Straight, hairs stiff to spreading

Found: Many habitats, especially meadows and open forest

Tidbits: In the past the plant was believed to possess strong medicinal powers. A tea made from the leaves was used as a gargle and mouthwash to cure inflammation of the mouth and gums. Witches used cinquefoil as a drug, rubbing it over their bodies to produce a trance-like state. The juice of the plant was mixed with such ingredients as deadly nightshade, hemlock, thorn apple, and spider's legs, and was made into a potent witch's brew.