Plantain pussytoes is a herbaceous perennial ground cover in the aster (Asteraceae) family. that is native to eastern USA including NC. It is short, growing only 6 inches tall and spreads 1-2 feet wide. The plant forms stolons that take root a short distance from the mother plant making it useful as a groundcover. The Genus name comes from the Latin word antenna because the male flowers look like antennae. Specific epithet means having leaves like plantain. The plant consists of a basal rosette of leaves and an erect stem bearing the flowers. It does best planted in full sun to part shade in lean, dry rocky or sandy soil with little organic matter. It suffers in soils too rich in organic matter or that drain poorly. In 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 male or female flowerheads. The blooms occur mid-to-late spring, lasting about 2-3 weeks. It is followed by achenes that have short white hairs. This stem then dies down in summer leaving the rosette of basal leaves. Use this plant at the border front, around shrubs or trees or in small spaces as a ground cover. Attracts pollinators. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant 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.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
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); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Dense; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Whorled
Leaf shape
Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are woolly gray-green and resemble a plantain plant. The basal leaves are up to 3½ inches long and 2 inches across. They have smooth margins and are on long petioles. Mature basal leaves have 3 to 5 conspicuous veins. The undersides are densely hairy. The stem leaves are smaller, being 1.5 inches long and clasp the stem. They tend to be more hairy than the basal leaves.
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Green; White
Flower value
Good Dried
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers appear in clusters at the end of stems. They are either male or female flowers. Flowerheads are about 1/2 inch long and wide and have green hairy bracts at the bases. Female flowers have numerous thread-like fluffy white styles at the top while male flowers occur in rounded heads with white flowers that have a brown stamens protruding from the center. Flowering is early to late spring.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruit displays from April to June. The achene has white resinous dots, and tufts of white hair. They are distributed by the wind.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
The central stem is densely covered with appressed white hairs along its length
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
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.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
In North America, the plant was nominally called "Indian tobacco," as it was often chewed by children in place of real tobacco