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A perennial member of the Rosaceae family, this cinquefoil is widespread across the mountains of central and southern Europe, from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians, including the Alps and the Apennines. It colonises rocky grasslands, stabilised scree and sunny slopes on acidic or siliceous substrates, generally between 1,500 and 3,000 metres in altitude.
It forms low, spreading tufts reaching 5 to 10 cm in height, which gradually widen to cover a notable area between stones. The leaves are palmately divided into five oval, toothed leaflets, dark green and glossy, with margins often edged with clearly visible silvery silky hairs on close inspection. This pale border along each leaflet is one of the most consistent distinguishing features of the species.
The flowers have five rich golden-yellow petals, rounded and slightly undulate, borne in such abundance at full bloom that the foliage becomes almost hidden beneath them. In its natural habitat, flowering extends from June to August depending on altitude. In rock garden cultivation, it typically blooms from May to July.
It requires well-drained soil, poor to moderately fertile, preferably slightly acidic, in full sun. Fully hardy and robust, it is well suited to rock gardens, dry stone walls and alpine gardens, where its exceptional floral generosity makes it one of the most widely grown cinquefoils.