Name: Antennaria plantaginifolia – Plantain-leaved Pussytoes
SKU: 4380
Price: 11.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Antennaria plantaginifolia – Plantain-leaved Pussytoes

$11.00

(Asteraceae – Daisy Family)

Perennial Groundcover • Up to 6″ • USDA Zones 4-8

Native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere

Ships in active growth in 4″ pots or equivalent

4 in stock

General Information: A native ground cover often found in dry, acidic soils and rocky terrain. All of the leaves and flower stalks are woolly and grayish. The somewhat inconspicuous flowers are white and fuzzy, blooming from April to June. Flowers appear on terminal clusters, 10″ high. Paddle-shaped leaves carpet the ground throughout the year, rarely exceeding 6 inches in total height. The persistent silvery-green foliage provides an ornamental feature throughout the rest of the growing season. These plants make for a perfect addition to tough, barren sites where not much else can thrive. They are exceptionally well-adapted to bright sunny locations.

Cultivation Details: These plants are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are found on separate plants. Males and females are only required if seed is desired. Often, the seeds are difficult to germinate. Since these plants spread readily in sandy soils, seed production is not required for their successful cultivation. Plantain-leaved Pussytoes is a low, colony-forming plant, spreading by stolons, (runners), making it an effective spreading groundcover in ideal conditions. Deer resistant, attractive to pollinators, and a Host plant to the Virginia Painted Lady Butterfly. Consider pairing with other sand-loving species such as Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), Eastern Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa), and other native selections. Ideal ground cover for filling in dry along foundations and roadsides, for pocket prairies, or for rewilding.

Growing Requirements: Requires full sun. Requires sandy, well-drained to dry soils. Uniquely tolerant of dry, rocky, and sandy soils. Does not tolerate ordinary garden soils or clay. Suitable for acidic or neutral soils. Does not tolerate alkaline soils.

Fun Facts: The common name “Pussytoes” is given due to the flower’s resemblance to a cat’s paw. The genus name “Antennaria” is derived from the Latin word “antenna” which refers to the yardarm of a sailing ship (the beam from which the main sail hangs). This name is in apparent reference to the bristle-like hairs on the flower heads purportedly resembling the antennae of some insects, or this structure on a ship.