Five-leaf bramble is a mat-forming, low growing and unarmed creeper that grows outwards via stolons and tends to root at the nodes. The stems are herbaceous and may be nearly smooth to fairly hairy. The erect stems are rarely more than 2 cm long and these bear 1-3 leaves and a single flower. The flowers are rarely more than 15 cm off of the ground. The leaves are compound palmate with 3 to 5 leaflets. The leaflets are obovate to deltoid-obovate in shape, 1-3 cm in length, and with double-toothed leaf margins. The leaves are about 2.5 cm across.
The single flower atop each stem has sepals which are 5-11 mm long and narrowly oblong-oblanceolate in shape. The 5 white petals are each oblong in shape and equal to or slightly longer than the sepals. The petals lie flat and the flower is about 1-2 cm across. The stamens are numerous and there are 3-6 pistils. The fruits are a cluster of small, red, juicy and edible berries.
Five-leaf bramble may be found in shady, mossy places in mid-altitude to subalpine forests.
Five-leaf bramble may be found from Alaska south along the Pacific coast to southern Oregon and east to western Alberta, western Montana, and northern Idaho.
In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 2400'-4000' from near Larch Mt. east to near Mt. Defiance.
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