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Plantago patagonica

woolly plantain

Plantaginaceae

Western North America and southern South America

Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

Overview

Plantago patagonica is a small annual in the plantain family, growing 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall from a basal tuft. The narrow, linear leaves are 1-3 inches (2.5-8 cm) long and densely covered in soft white hairs, giving the whole plant a silvery, woolly look. In late spring and summer, short stalks carry dense, cylindrical flower spikes 0.5-2 inches (1-5 cm) long, woolly with white bracts and tiny, inconspicuous flowers. The plant completes its life cycle in a single season, setting seed and dying. It is adapted to dry, open ground and shallow soils, where larger plants are sparse. Plants are small and easily overlooked except where they grow in dense stands. Growth is rapid in spring, with flowering and seeding within a few months of germination.

Native Range

Native to dry, open habitats of North and South America, including the western Great Plains and intermountain regions of North America and arid parts of Patagonia in South America, on sandy and gravelly soils, rangeland, and disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in dry meadows, rock gardens, and naturalistic plantings on poor soils, where it self-seeds in open ground, spaced 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart. It also occurs as a component of native rangeland and restoration seed mixes. The woolly seed spikes are a seed source for small birds.

How to Identify

Recognized by narrow, densely white-woolly leaves in a small basal tuft and short, woolly cylindrical flower spikes with conspicuous white bracts, on a low annual 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall. The dense silvery hairs and small size separate it from the broad-leaved, hairless Plantago major. Tiny flowers are hidden among the woolly bracts.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2" - 6"

Width/Spread2" - 4"

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

silver

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowers in late spring and summer, with timing tied to rainfall in arid regions. Woolly spikes appear within a few months of germination and persist as the plant sets seed. In dry years the whole cycle compresses into a few weeks.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Silvery green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagedry

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun in dry, well-drained sandy or gravelly soil, including poor and disturbed ground. As a drought-adapted annual, it needs no supplemental water once established and declines in rich, moist, or shaded conditions. It completes its life cycle quickly and relies on self-seeding to return each year. No routine feeding is needed, and fertile soil favors competing plants. Few pests or diseases affect it. In cultivation it persists only where the ground stays open and dry enough to limit competition.

Pruning

No pruning is required for this small annual. Plants can be left to set and drop seed for the following season, or pulled once they finish if self-seeding is not wanted. Spent plants are easily removed by hand.