Antennaria plantaginifolia 3qt (Plantain-leaved Pussytoes / Mouse Ears)

Plantain-leaved Pussytoes is a silvery, robust, mat-forming groundcover native to dry, open woodlands and rocky places in the eastern half of the U.S. It requires well-drained soil, but it is not picky about soil texture or pH. It thrives in dry, sunny sites with poor fertility and does not do very well in rich, humusy soils that retain too much moisture. This plant mostly hugs the ground and is a stoloniferous spreader. During the blooming period, which lasts about 2-3 weeks in early summer, the wiry flower stalks rise above the foliage to about 10″. These plants are dioecious (male and female flowers on separate individuals) but they are also apomictic – the seed can be asexually reproduced, not requiring fertilization by a male. Male plants are more uncommon, and the female flowers tend to be showier. The plants are capable of self-fertilization, but they can also be cross-pollinated by the wind or insects, primarily small bees and flies. The seeds are tufted and wind dispersed.

Plantain-leaved Pussytoes is host to the larval stage of the superstar American Painted Lady butterfly, who is also attracted to the flowers as an adult!

Sources:
Growing and Propagating Wildflowers by William Cullina
Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan M. Armitage
The Midwestern Native Garden by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers
Native Plant Trust