Marsh Cinquefoil vs Yellow Mountain Avens - TreeTime.ca

Marsh Cinquefoil vs Yellow Mountain Avens

Comarum palustre

Dryas drummondii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Marsh Cinquefoil
Yellow Mountain Avens

Marsh Cinquefoil is a native perennial wetland plant with striking reddish-purple, star-shaped flowers. They bloom in early to mid-summer, providing nectar for bees, flies, and other pollinators. Beyond its summer blooms, the foliage turns red in autumn, adding seasonal interest to wetland landscapes.

Common in wetlands, pond margins, and wet meadows, Marsh Cinquefoil spreads by rhizomes to form colonies or patches that contribute to shoreline stabilization. It thrives in nutrient-poor, saturated soils where many other plants struggle, making it valuable in challenging wetland conditions. With its ecological function and ornamental appeal, it is well-suited for wetland plantings, ecological restoration, and naturalized projects.

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Marsh Cinquefoil Quick Facts

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: ascending to upright
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - medium
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low


Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Flowers: dark red/maroon, star-shaped
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Bloom time: summer
Bloom time: spring to summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Other Names: marsh five fingers, purple cinquefoil, purple marshlocks
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad