Strawberryweed is a stout, hirsute, leafy herb that can be annual, biennial, or a short-lived perennial, unlike many Potentilla species, which tend to be longer-lived perennials. Also known as Norwegeian cinquefoil or rough cinquefoil, this plant begins as a rosette of basal leaves and grows into flowering stalks that are 1 to 3 feet high. During this early development stage, this plant can resemble Fragaria virginica (wild strawberry). The stems are covered in dense hairs and can be either erect or sprawling, with branches rising at the tips. The stems can also be green or tinged with red. The plant has compound stem leaves, divided into 3 leaflets that are elliptic to widely lance-shaped and coarsely serrated along the edges and hairy.

From June to August, small flowers arranged in compact clusters bloom with 5 yellow oval-heart shaped petals with each flower about ⅓ to ½ inches across and distinctive 5 green sharply-pointed sepals that are longer than the petals. However, flowers may not bloom all at once, giving an extended bloom period of a month or more. The pollen and nectar attract small bees and flies and small mammals will eat the foliage, becoming crucial for seed dispersion. This plant thrives in habitats that contain dry to slightly moist soils in full sun to partial shade and can typically be found in disturbed and weedy habitats such as wetlands, fields, meadows, roadsides, vacant lots, and waste areas. This plant is widely distributed across North America, and is classifed as secure (S5) in PA.

Some distinguishing features of P. norvegica from several other Potentilla species is its generally smaller yellow flowers, as well as its long, spreading hairy stems and sepals that are longer than the petals. In addition, unlike P. simplex (common cinquefoil) and P. canadesis (dwarf cinquefoil) with 5 leaflets, P. norvegica has three widely lance-shaped leaflets with coarse serrations.  P. norvegica is also noticebly taller than most Pennsylvania's cinquefoils.