Antennaria plantaginifolia
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- an-ten-AIR-ee-uh plan-tah-JIN-ih-foh-lee-uh
- Description
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Antennaria plantaginifolia, or Plantain Pussytoes, is a herbaceous perennial, native ground cover in the Asteraceae family. The plant consists of a basal rosette of leaves and an erect stem bearing the flowers. It does best planted in full sun in lean, dry rocky soil with little organic matter. It suffers in soils too rich in organic matter or that drain poorly. It forms mats of soft woolly gray stems and paddle-shaped leaves.
During the spring, a central stem develops from the basal leaves. At the apex of the central stem is a small cluster of about 3 to 6 staminate or pistillate flowerheads.The blooms occur mid- to late spring, lasting about 2-3 weeks. There is no noticeable floral scent. The flower-bearing part of the plant dies down during the summer, but the rosette of basal leaves persists. Occasionally, this plant forms stolons that take root a short distance from the mother plant. These colonies sometimes consist of all staminate or all pistillate plants.
The plant prefers full sun or light shade and average to dry well-drained acidic soil and will flourish in poor soil that contains sand, rocky material, or clay. It does not do well in fertile, humusy soils, particularly if drainage is poor. It can be difficult to cultivate if soil requirements are not met, but in optimum conditions, it can spread by stolons to form an attractive ground cover.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No major insect or disease problem, though it can be challenging to grow if soil conditions are not met. The semi-evergreen basal leaves often become discolored and withered with age.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Pinehurst Greenway Pollinator Habitat Garden, Moore County
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Antennaria
- Species:
- plantaginifolia
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Canada to Eastern United States
- Distribution:
- North America
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant supports American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) larvae which appear from May to November. In the deep south they will appear all year long. American Lady butterflies feed on flower nectar almost exclusively.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Likes rocky, dry, lean soils, & little organic matter soils; No major insect or disease problem
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 6 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Ground Cover
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Dense
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Spring
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit displays from April to June. The fruit resembles small brown nutlets with white resinous dots, to which small tufts of white hair are attached. They are distributed by the wind.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Pink
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Good Dried
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowerheads are about ¼ to ½ inch long and a little less across with floral bracts at their bases that are light green and hairy, otherwise they consist of white disk florets. The staminate florets have brownish tubular anthers, while the pistillate florets are fluffy white. The flowers appear from March to May and are called pussytoes because of the resemblance the tight flower clusters to the toes of a cat's paw.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are woolly gray-green and resemble a plantain plant. The basal leaves are up to 3½ inches long and 2 inches across, with long petioles and smooth margins. Mature basal leaves have 3 to 5 conspicuous veins. The upper surfaces of these leaves are light to medium green and glabrous to appressed-hairy, while their lower surfaces are whitish green and densely appressed-hairy. Sometimes basal leaves become smoother with age. The stem is clasped by erect or ascending leaves, each up to 1½ inches long, narrowly lanceolate or elliptic in shape, and smooth to undulate. They tend to be more hairy than the basal leaves.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- This plant forms mats of basal leaves with soft woolly gray stems. This central stem is densely covered with appressed white hairs; along its length, there are a few alternate leaves.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Diseases
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Insect Pests
- Poor Soil
