Flower profile
Marsh cinquefoil
Comarum palustre
Marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) is a flowering plant in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.
Marsh cinquefoil is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alaska
Quick look
Comarum palustre, known by the common name marsh cinquefoil, also purple marshlocks and swamp cinquefoil, is a waterside rhizomatous subshrub. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout cool temperate Asia, Europe, and North America, particularly in northern regions. It is most commonly found on lake shores, marshy riversides and stream margins, often partly submerged with foliage floating.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 25 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 703 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #60 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Alaska
- No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ND (S2), NJ (S1), OH (S2), UT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 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 records marsh cinquefoil in 25 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Bristol Bay, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Greenland: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Potentilla palustris.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 334 counties across 22 states; the most are in Michigan (60), Wisconsin (53), New York (29).
More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.
More Alaska flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COPA28.
- iNaturalist, Comarum palustre: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Comarum palustre (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Comarum palustre (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: aarongunnar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.