Common Cinquefoil

On the earlier magenta route excursion, I came upon what I thought to be flowering Virginia Creeper. Although the leaves held similarity, the vines and flowers did not. A flower lookup in Petersons's Wildflowers quickly brought me to the Cinquefoils and the leaf description finished up the ID nicely as Common Cinquefoil, Potentilla simplex.


From A Guide to the Wild Flowers:

"One of our dearest little field blossoms whose cheery yellow head peeps out among the grass in early spring. We find it when we follow some stone wall to a place where we know a spreading patch of fraises des bois, as the French call the wild strawberries, is in bloom. The little plant is, in fact, often called wild strawberry. Perhaps we attempt to carry it away, but it is indignant at such treatment and its petals droop quickly after leaving their shady home."


Lounsberry, Alice. A Guide to the Wild Flowers. New York, 1899. Google Book Search. Web. 18 Jun 2009.

Happy Summer Solstice!