Ashy Cinquefoil vs Coast Cinquefoil

Potentilla inclinata compared with Potentilla litoralis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ashy Cinquefoil	Coast Cinquefoil
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Rosales (Roses & Allies)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family same	Rosaceae (Rose Family)	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus same	Potentilla	Potentilla
Species	Potentilla inclinata	Potentilla litoralis

Evolutionary Relationship

Ashy Cinquefoil and Coast Cinquefoil share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Potentilla.

Conservation Status

Ashy Cinquefoil

NE — Not Evaluated

Coast Cinquefoil

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ashy Cinquefoil	Coast Cinquefoil
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ashy Cinquefoil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (10 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Coast Cinquefoil

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Norway, and United States.

Ashy Cinquefoil

Ashy cinquefoil (Potentilla inclinata) is a species in the genus Potentilla. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Coast Cinquefoil

Coast cinquefoil (Potentilla litoralis) is a low-growing perennial herb in the family Rosaceae, found along coastal habitats of Atlantic North America and Scandinavia. It grows on rocky shorelines, coastal gravel, salt-sprayed headlands, and cliff-top grasslands just above the high tide zone. Like other cinquefoils, it bears five-petalled yellow flowers and compound leaves divided into toothed leaflets, a characteristic form of the Potentilla genus. Coast cinquefoil is adapted to maritime exposure, tolerating salt, wind, and thin, nutrient-poor substrates. Its prostrate or mat-forming growth habit reduces exposure in exposed coastal conditions. The species occupies a niche between maritime and terrestrial plant communities, often growing alongside other maritime specialists such as sea plantain and sea campion. Its IUCN conservation status is Not Evaluated. Taxonomically, Potentilla litoralis occupies a complex position within the genus, which contains hundreds of species and has historically been subject to different circumscriptions depending on taxonomic authority. Regional populations in the British Isles and Scandinavia are generally considered stable in suitable coastal habitat.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States