Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial species with a woody rootstock. It produces several erect stems which can reach one to three feet in height. The stout, leafy, hairy stems are unbranched up to the inflorescence. The leaves, which are also rough-hairy, have five-to-seven-toothed, palmately arranged leaflets that are two to four inches long by 1/2-1 inch wide. The flat-topped inflorescences are three to six inches across, and each flower has five light yellow petals surrounding a dark yellow center. The fruits are achenes, which are dark brown, with lighter, prominent, branched ridges, and narrow, winged margins (Callihan et al. 1991; Werner and Soule 1976). Detrimental - Although not a serious agricultural weed, sulfur cinquefoil can form monocultures over large areas of rangeland, roadside, waste places, and unworked fields, where it is not easily controlled by mowing (Werner and Soule 1976). Sulfur cinquefoil is a strong competitor that reduces grass production on many rangeland sites (Rice et al. 1991). Because of its high tannin content, sulfur cinquefoil is unpalatable to most wildlife and livestock. In areas where sulfur cinquefoil grows with spotted knapweed, cattle will graze the knapweed over the cinquefoil (Rice et al 1991).

Growth and Development: Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial that regenerates annually via new shoots emerging from the edges of the root mass. The central core of this mass slowly disintegrates. Therefore, long-lived plants consist of a circle of upright stems surrounding a core of old stems and leaves. The species flowers from June through July (Hitchcock and Cronquist 1961). There is some evidence that suggests that sulfur cinquefoil has the potential to form a persistent seed bank (Baskin and Baskin 1990).

Reproduction:  This species reproduces by seed, but it can be spread by roots if they are moved by tillage or on soil-moving equipment (Callihan et al. 1991).

Habitat:  The species is adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. It occurs in open grasslands, shrubby areas, open forest and logged areas, roadsides, waste areas, and abandoned fields. In abandoned fields, sulfur cinquefoil occurs in the earliest stages of succession until woody cover is present; it also grows forest margins, but it cannot survive under a full forest canopy (Werner and Soule 1976).