Antennaria
Guide to Growing Pussy toes, Cats ears, and Ladies-tobacco
The hardy perennial Antennaria typically flowers from spring early summer.
Description of Antennaria
Antennaria are small plants that rarely grow higher than 15 cm and are often mat forming. They have tubular clustered flowers of pink, red or white, and small, woolly grayish green leaves. They make ideal plants for a rockery.
Elaine Haug @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database Smithsonian Institution, Department of Systematic Biology-Botany.
Antennaria dioica photograph by Carmona Rodriguez.
How to grow Antennaria
It is best to plant Antennaria just below the soil, with a spacing of approximately 30 centimeters. Cat’s ears should be sown out in late winter or early spring when a lightly frost is still possible.
Cat’s ears/Ladies-tobacco prefer to be grown in full sunlight. The soil type can be poor but it should be dry. When starting Antennaria off from seed indoors, the seeds should be given one to two months to germinate before they are planted outside in either the Autumn or spring.
Caring for Antennaria
Antennaria species such as Pussy toes are very easy to care for; the plant should be deadheaded following flowering to prevent them from taking over the garden.
Garden Plants and Flowers C / Flowers L / Flowers P