Prairie Cinquefoil Drymocallis arguta is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm
Prairie Cinquefoil Drymocallis arguta is a Michigan Native plant available at Wild Cherry Farm

Prairie Cinquefoil (Drymocallis arguta)

from $3.50

Prairie Cinquefoil is a drought-resistant plant whose flowers attract a number of small bees. It is the host to 4 (or more) species of butterflies and moths in our area and a host to 3 specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It seems to be generally deer-resistant, but they and other mammals may occasionally browse the foliage (illinoiswildflower.info).

Photo credit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie

Size:

Prairie Cinquefoil is a drought-resistant plant whose flowers attract a number of small bees. It is the host to 4 (or more) species of butterflies and moths in our area and a host to 3 specialist bees (Johnson and Colla, 2023). It seems to be generally deer-resistant, but they and other mammals may occasionally browse the foliage (illinoiswildflower.info).

Photo credit: USFWS Mountain-Prairie

Life Cycle: Perennial 

Sun Exposure: Full-Partial

Soil Moisture: Medium - Dry

Height: 1-3 feet

Plant Spacing:  1-1.5 feet

Bloom Time: June-September

Bloom Color: White

Advantages: Deer Resistant

Host: 4 or so species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Specialist Bee(s): Andrena ziziaeformis, A. melanochroa, and Panurginus potentillae (Johnson and Colla, 2023)

Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023

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