Special plant of the Burren and just a couple of other locations in the west, this deciduous, downy shrub grows around turloughs and other rocky areas which are subject to flooding. It's small, only reaching 1 metre, with peeling bark, and has bright yellow 5-petalled flowers (2cm across) in clusters, from May to July.. These plants are either male or female, the former bearing stamens, the female plants with no stamens. The leaves are grey-green, pinnate with 3 or 5 lanceolate leaflets. Formerly known as Potentilla fruticosa, this is a native plant and it belongs to the family Rosaceae.
I first came across this wildflower in 1984 on a weekend in the Burren with our son, Nik, and I photographed it at Mullaghmore, Co Clare in 2007. The 1984 trip was Nik's first ever to the Burren and it was so good for me to be able to introduce him to something else I love.
If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
