Singlehead Pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- an-ten-AR-ee-uh sol-ih-TAR-ee-a
- Description
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Antennaria solitaria, or Solitary Pussytoes, is an herbaceous perennial wildflower native to North Carolina and the central and eastern southern states. It is typically found in forests or woodlands on dry, often poor, soil. In North Carolina, it is common to find the plant growing wild in the mountains or Piedmont, but it is rare to find in along the coast. As its common name suggests, this species differs from other pussytoes by the solitary flowering head atop the flowering stalk versus two or more flowering heads in all other Antennaria species.
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 known diseases or insect pest issues.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Rydberg'
- 'Rydberg'
- 'Rydberg'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Rydberg'
- 'Rydberg'
- 'Rydberg'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Antennaria
- Species:
- solitaria
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- South Central and South Eastern United States
- Distribution:
- Pennsylvania to Indiana, south to Georgia and Louisiana.
- 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.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Dense
- Spreading
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 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.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Tubular
- Flower Description:
- This plant has a cluster of fuzzy, pussy toe-shaped flowers that blossom from March to May on long stalks. The flowers are white to pale purplish. The plants are dioecious - the male (staminate) and female (pistillate) flowers are on different plants.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- White
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Basel leaves are 2 to 3 inches long and spoon-shaped and the spatulate blades are frequently purplish above and wooly white underneath. They have 3 to 5 nerves (usually 3). The cauline leaves are linear and very bract-like. New growth is white but changes to green with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- The flowering stems can be a little over a foot tall, and like the rest of the plant, can be somewhat woolly.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Rock Wall
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Mass Planting
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heavy Shade
