Keep Weeds Out Of Your Garden Beds With A Low-Growing Ground Cover Butterflies Love

Ground cover plants are a great way to protect your garden from weeds. Often referred to as "living mulch," ground covers take sunlight, nutrients, and water from weeds — suppressing their growth in the process. Some ground covers like pussytoe (Antennaria plantaginifolia), also known as plantain pussytoe or lady's tobacco, can also be used to attract beneficial pollinators like butterflies. There are different types of pussytoe, but most of them bear similar characteristics, with robust rosettes of velvety green leaves that grow in dense, weed-killing patches.

Plantain pussytoe is a perennial plant native to the eastern United States. Some species of butterfly, like the American Painted Lady, consider pussytoes a home and food source for their larvae. The larvae typically fold leaves together for protection, and as they feed, you may notice some leaf damage. However, this is a temporary issue that will resolve within a few weeks. It's also a small price to pay to welcome these pollinators into your garden. When in bloom, the signature cat paw-like flowers that give pussytoes their name also serve as a source of nectar for adult butterflies.

Like many ground cover plants, pussytoes spread using stolons or runners, a stem that grows horizontally across the soil to help propagate new plants. This means that each "mother" plant will need about one to two feet of growing space. You can buy sprouted seedlings to start, or grow pussytoes from seed. Seeds can be sown directly in the soil in early spring or fall. However, if you plan to plant pussytoes in the summer, stratifying seeds a month or two before sowing is a good idea. Put the seeds in a paper bag and place them in the fridge in late winter or early spring.

Pussytoes are quite selective about soil conditions; preferring dry, sandy, or rocky conditions with limited organic matter. They also thrive in full sun or partial shade during particularly warm weather. Once established, this ground cover is drought-tolerant and won't require watering.

Pussytoes are excellent for walkways and planting around garden perimeters. Maintaining proper soil conditions is key to this plant's success, but with time and care, you'll have a plant that fills your garden with butterflies and comes back year after year.