IDENTIFICATION
Regional Noxious. Perennial.
Sulphur cinquefoil is a member of the Rose family. It has distinctive
hairy leaves divided into five to seven separate, toothed leaflets growing
on one or several stems. Flowers have five, sulphur-coloured, heart-shaped
petals. Mature plants grow 0.3 to 0.8 metres in height.
DAMAGE
Sulphur cinquefoil is unpalatable to grazing animals and very competitive
with native plants, resulting in reduced forage for livestock and wildlife
on rangelands and pastures.
HABITAT
Sulphur cinquefoil has adapted to a wide range of soils and climates,
but currently is mostly restricted to the grasslands and dry forest zones
in BC. It is common in southern British Columbia, and considered a major
concern in the Kootenay, Okanagan, and Thompson agricultural areas.
SPREAD
While seeds may survive only two years, they are effectively dispersed
by birds, animals, and livestock, either through digestion or by being
picked up on hooves or in hair. Plants also spread through roots.
