Early Cinquefoil: Prairie flower in the Bow Valley

Early Cinquefoil, in the Bow Valley Provincial Park.  © SB

At the top of a dry, sandy moraine in the Bow Valley, we saw bright yellow Early Cinquefoil in bloom.

These low, short-stemmed wildflowers are native to the dry, open prairie, and belong to the Rose family.

The species name, concinna, means "elegant and well-behaved," a reference to this small plant's neat appearance, Royer and Dickinson say in Plants of Alberta.

We looked for more along the trail, but only found a few Early Cinquefoil plants at the top of one sunny hill.

Early Cinquefoil, blooming in dry dirt and stones at the top of a moraine. © SB

Prairie Wildflower: Early Cinquefoil
Location: Moraine Trail, Bow Valley Provincial Park, Alberta.
Photo Date: April 13, 2016

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