Flower profile

Lesser mock-strawberry

Potentilla hebiichigo

Lesser mock-strawberry (Potentilla hebiichigo) is a flowering plant in the Rosaceae family, blooming mostly January–May across the U.S.

Lesser mock-strawberry is a flowering plant. In Louisiana it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.

–states where USDA records it

1,022LA sightings*

3,220U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Louisiana

Quick look

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,022 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #28 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Louisiana, most flowering sightings come in February–April.

Flowering records by month in Louisiana (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (62 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe: Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. ^NatureServe
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Cinquefoil” (Potentilla spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Potentilla on Bloomipedia (3): Mock strawberry, Sulphur cinquefoil, Dwarf cinquefoil.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry, Trailing blackberry.

More Louisiana flowers

Southern dewberry

Rubus trivialis

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: February–March

Black cherry

Prunus serotina

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in LA

Parsley hawthorn

Crataegus marshallii

Native

🌼 Blooms in LA: March

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Potentilla hebiichigo: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Tyler Bishop via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.