Antennaria argentea
Silver pussytoes
(c) Tom Wainwright, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Antennaria argentea (Silver pussytoes) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by lack of stolons, large inflorescence, and glabrous involucres.
Silver pussytoes is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and North Coast Mountains in dry conifer forest at elevations of 600 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to cream flowers in compact heads 10 to 75 millimeters long with distinctive involucres. Growing with erect stems 18 to 40 centimeters tall emerging from a branched caudex, it forms dense clusters. Its basal leaves are oblanceolate to elliptic, 20 to 50 millimeters long and 7 to 20 millimeters wide, covered in a distinctive gray tomentose (woolly) surface. The plant's cauline leaves are narrow and lanceolate, complementing its silvery-gray appearance in dry mountain habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species - distinguished by lack of stolons, large inflorescence, and glabrous involucres
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry conifer forest
Elevation: 600-2000 m
Outside California: to Washington, Nevada
Bloom period
Antennaria argentea blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudognaphalium: Antennaria forms low cushions with persistent basal rosettes; Pseudognaphalium grows erect to 200 cm without basal rosettes.; vs Eriogonum: Antennaria has papery-bracted flower heads in the Asteraceae; Eriogonum has showy flowers with papery bracts in the buckwheat family.; vs Anaphalis: Antennaria maintains its basal leaf rosette during flowering; Anaphalis has withered basal leaves with longer, uniform stem leaves.; vs Centaurea: Antennaria has tiny woolly heads (3-9mm) in low cushions; Centaurea has much larger flower heads (15-40mm) on tall stems.; vs Petrophytum: Antennaria has papery-bracted flower heads; Petrophytum has dense spikes of small rose-family flowers with 5 separate petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Antennaria argentea native to California?
Yes. Antennaria argentea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Antennaria argentea bloom?
Antennaria argentea blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Antennaria argentea belong to?
Antennaria argentea is in the Asteraceae family, genus Antennaria.
What habitat does Antennaria argentea grow in?
Antennaria argentea grows in dry conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.