Antennaria plantaginifolia – Plantainleaf Pussytoes – 1.25-Quart

Pussytoes make a good groundcover for poor, well-drained soils in hot, sunny spots. They’re quite adaptable as well – we often see them growing in quite a bit of shade, though they don’t develop into as dense as a patch as they do in sunny locations. This is a taxonomically mixed up genus – depending on the treatment, we have between 4 and 6 species present in Ulster County. This species and Field Pussytoes (A. neglecta) seem to be the most common. The furry white flowers with pale pink bracts have a resemblance to feline toes, hence the common name. All pussytoes are host plants for the American painted lady butterfly, whose caterpillar is shown in the second photo.