How to Grow and Care for Everlasting

Plantain pussytoes leaf pussytoes gets its name because the tight clusters of flowers resemble a cat’s paw. Also known as plantain pussytoes or *Antennaria plantaginifolia*, this perennial evergreen plant spreads by runners and bears fuzzy white flowers.

Native field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) are found across Canada and the United States. They attract bees and flies, and provide food to the caterpillars of American Painted Lady butterflies, as well as Ruffed Grouse, Bobwhite Quail and other small birds.

Mountain everlasting grows as a wildflower in cool mountain regions. It is also a popular ornamental due to its pretty pink flowers and mat-forming habit. This perennial is frequently chosen to feature in border edges, rockeries, and in between paving slabs. It can reproduce without fertilization.

The form is usually basal rosettes largely clonally propagated. The basal rosette leaves are 2 to 4 cm long and 6 to 12 mm broad light green and spatulate with a thin arm and a broad tip with a point. They have woolly white undersides. The flowerheads appear in spring on a stem 15 to 35 cm tall with smaller slender leaves 1 to 4 cm long. It is commonly seen growing under pine stands.

Antennaria microphylla can be found growing in plains hills dry meadow and open wood habitats. It is a small herb with male and female flowers on separate plants. It grows from 3 to 30 cm with spoon shaped or oblong leaves; it blossoms from late spring to summer. The Columbian ground squirrel feeds on Litteleaf pussytoes.