Antennaria dioica
Cat's Foot
Common names: Common Cat's Foot
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- May–Jul
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Cat's Foot (Antennaria dioica) is a low mat-forming plant suited to sparse, dry rock gardens. Its silvery, hairy leaves form dense rosettes from which delicate pink to white flower heads rise from May to July, resembling small paws. The species is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, giving a subtle variety in form and color. Traditionally used in folk medicine for mild respiratory ailments, it is now primarily valued for its ornamental appeal.
Care instructions
Choose a full-sun location with sparse, well-drained, slightly dry soil such as that found on gravel or sand beds. The plant does not tolerate waterlogged conditions, so incorporate a gravel or crushed stone drainage layer when planting. Water sparingly only when prolonged dryness occurs, and avoid additional fertilization, as overly fertile soils loosen the mat and make the plant vulnerable. After flowering, prune away spent flower heads to encourage dense growth the following year. The plant is frost-hardy and requires no special winter protection.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringMay–Jul
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, sandy, dry
Mountain everlasting loves lean, permeable soil and does not tolerate waterlogging. Sandy or gravelly sites with little humus best imitate its natural dry grassland and heath habitats. Soil that is too rich in nutrients makes it soft and susceptible, so do not hesitate to add extra sand when planting.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a wild perennial of lean grassland, mountain everlasting needs no additional fertilising. On the contrary, a nutrient-poor soil keeps its growth compact and its flowering rich. If the soil in the bed is being improved anyway, a thin layer of ripe compost in early spring is entirely sufficient.
Overwintering
Mountain everlasting is hardy and needs no special protection outdoors. What matters above all is a permeable subsoil, so that no waterlogging forms in winter, because that harms it more than cold. The evergreen leaf rosettes stay visible through the cold season and start growing again straight away in spring.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
The easiest way is to divide the clumps in spring or early autumn and set the divisions straight into their new place. Sowing also works well, preferably as cold-stratification seeds outdoors or in a seed tray from March, weeks 10 to 13. Only press the fine seeds down lightly rather than covering them, because mountain everlasting is a light-germinating seed. The young plants usually need a year of patience before the first flowering.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Cat's Foot yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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