It is native to western North America, with populations scattered from southern Washington to south-central California and from the Pacific cordillera inland to the mountains of the Great Basin.

Its leaves are pinnately compound and covered in soft, tangled, woolly hairs, giving them a more or less silver-blue color.

The exact shape of the leaf and the degree of hairiness can vary substantially between early-season leaves and those produced later in the year.

Like most Potentilla species, its flowers have five bright yellow petals, 15 stamens, and numerous separate pistils, and are adapted for generalist pollination.

They prefer seasonally-wet habitats with little competition for sunlight, such as rocky meadows and rock crevices, and are often found near lakes and streams.