Golden cinquefoil

About

Potentilla aurea is a low perennial herb 5–20 cm tall, forming loose tufts. The basal leaves are palmate, with five elongated leaflets, serrated only at the tip. The edges of the leaflets and the veins on the underside are covered with silvery silky hairs that shine in the sun—this is the most reliable characteristic of the species.

The flowers are 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter, with five golden-yellow petals; at the base of each petal, there is often a darker orange spot. Potentilla aurea blooms from June to August, and in high alpine meadows, also in September.

This is a mountain species of the Alps, Carpathians, and Balkans. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, it grows in alpine meadows, mountain pastures, and hayfields, in bilberry thickets, and on rocky slopes—mainly above 1000 m, up to the alpine zone. Naturalists frequently record it here: on Chornohora, Svydovets, Borzhava, in Horhany, and Maramureș, the yellow stars of Potentilla aurea can be seen along every trail.

Potentilla aurea prefers acidic, poor soils and withstands grazing well, so it is abundant in old alpine meadows.

A similar species, Potentilla recta, or rough cinquefoil, grows nearby, but its flower has four petals instead of five. Buttercups differ by their shiny, lacquer-like petals and differently dissected leaves.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Slovakia · Ukraine · Poland · Romania · Czechia

Mountain ranges

Western Tatras, Low Tatras, Greater Fatra, High Tatras, Lesser Fatra, Slovak Paradise, Belianske Tatras, Slovak Ore Mountains, Slovak Central Mountains, Volovec Mountains

Altitude belts

Beech forests (600–1200 m) · Conifer forests (1200–1600 m) · Subalpine belt (1600–1900 m) · Alpine belt (above 1900 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

Not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

FAQ