Pussytoes is a semi-evergreen herbaceous perennial in the aster family (Asteraceae). Native to the temperate northern hemisphere in Eurasia, Great Britain, and the Aleutian Islands. In its native environment, it is typically found in calcareous grasslands, maritime heath, dune slacks, and rock ledges. The genus name is the Medieval Latin adoption of the Greek word referring to the flower head’s bristle-like hairs resembling an insect horns or antennae. The specific epithet means the plant has male and female parts. The common name, pussytoes, refers to the tight flower cluster which looks like a cat’s paws. The mat-forming ground cover is 4 inch tall and can spread to 18 inches in optimum conditions. Dislikes hot and humid summers of the deep South. Grows best in dry soils which are lean, gritty to rocky and well-drained in full sun. Spreads slowly by stolons. Female flowers on 10” stems and shorter stems with male flowers on separate plants. Propagate by seed or division in the spring. Tolerant of drought and nutritionally poor soils. Plant in rocky areas between paving stones, small areas in a rock garden, or on top of stone walls. Diseases, Insect Pests and Other Plant Problems: Prone to slug damage. Poorly-drained soils lead to root rot. Allergic reactions can occur in those sensitive to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds and daisies.
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)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 9 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Dense; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green; White
Leaf shape
Spatulate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Silver foliage is 2 inches tall but generally 1-inch. They are spatula-shaped leaves arranged in rosettes and have white-wooly underside. Produces a foliage mat of basal leaves spreading to 18" wide.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Showy
Flower form
Corymb
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are a cluster of fuzzy, white to pink flowers on 6 to 12 inch long stout stalks. Blooms in late spring to early summer. Plants are dioecious (male and female flowers on separate plants), with male flowers typically appearing on shorter flower stalks. Bristle-like hairs occur on the flower heads.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Stem detail
Flower stems are up to 10 inches.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Northern and Central Europe, Siberia to Western Asia