Virginia Tech Dendrology

three-toothed-cinquefoil Rosaceae Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Aiton) Rydb. symbol: SITR3
Leaf: Alternate, evergreen, trifoliate, leaflets lack a petiole, overall 2 inches long, petiole may be silky-hairy, leaflets shiny waxy, obovate, margins mostly entire but with three large teeth at the leaflet tips, becoming dark yellow-green above and turning red in the fall, pale green below.
Flower: Buttercup-like, 1/2 inch across, monoecious, creamy white, 5 petals, clustered at the branch tips; present from mid- to late-summer.
Fruit: A compact head of achenes.
Twig: Green to reddish brown, slender, new growth is silky-hairy.
Bark: Gray-brown, shreddy.
Form: A low multi-stem shrub, marginally woody; to 10 inches.
Looks like: shrubby cinquefoil

Additional Range Information: Sibbaldiopsis tridentata is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information