This is a perfect time of the year to talk about Woman’s Tobacco or Pussytoes.    Although Woman’s Tobacco is native perennial and is fairly cold hardly, this is the time of year that it is sprouting new growth.     It is also called Plantain Leaved Pussytoes, Plantain Leaved Everlasting and Ladies Tobacco.

Woman’s Tobacco’s nickname of Pussytoes is found in taking a close look at it flowers.   The soft round blooms resembles the soft paw of a kitten.   This perennial can grow to 12 inches tall and blooms from April to June with white flowers tinged with pink.   It naturalizes and makes a great ground cover.   Butterflies love to visit this plant while in bloom.  It grows best in gritty to rocky, dry to medium moisture, well drained soils in full sun.  It will grow in partial shade but will probably not bloom as well.  It can spread by stolons and forms an attractive ground cover.  The soft grayish leaves is an attractive alternative to most ground cover plants.   It has both male and female flowers but they are found on different plants with the male flower stems being shorter.

The Cherokee used this plant to make a medicinal tea to check bowels.   The also made an infusion to help aid digestion.