Friday, January 29, 2010

Pussytoes

Today the car said it was 15 degrees outside in the sun, but the car usually thinks it is warmer out than it actually is.

Let this be a lesson to me to keep better records. I have fallen in love with a plant and I am not sure what plant it is. It might be Antennaria neglecta, which is native to Massachusetts; but then again it might be Antennaria parvifolia, which isn't native quite this far to the east. Both go by the name "pussytoes", and there might be other varieties out there.

I started these from seed the spring before last. The seed came from Garden in the Woods. I would check their catalog (and buy more seeds), but it seems they aren't selling seeds this winter. Gasp!



The plant in question is the silver-blue groundcover around the feet of those irises. (Please ignore the unswept walk and the alyssum growing in between the bricks.)



This plant may not precisely be native to Massachusetts, but it thrives in the cooked, sandy desert of my front yard, and has survived and flourished after one bitter winter, so I say close enough!



I am toying with the idea of digging up half of this bed in the spring, and splitting it up into individual rosettes, which I will grow all around the yard.

3 comments:

Pam J. said...

Very pretty. Pussy toes reminds me of sweet Woodruff.

Michelle Clay said...

Hi Pam! I have been wondering what plants I have available that I could trade you for yucca. Would you like some of these?

Cheers!

Pam J. said...

Yes! That would be great. We can work out the shipping details when the snows of 2010 are a distant memory. Thanks for the offer.