What's Blooming? May 21st, 2025

Pussy Toes

“What’s Blooming?” is a series of posts intended to help you stagger the blooms in your yard throughout the year, both for the beauty and the pollinators!

Antennaria sp., also known as “Pussy Toes” are found throughout North America. They are named after the appearance of their flower clusters, which look like tiny pompoms clustered together in a soft “paw”. Pussy toes are members of the Asteraceae family, a group of plants excellent in attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. Pussy toes are a resilient plant that tolerate a wide variety of environmental conditions, but do not like shade.

Pussy toes are a host plant for the American Lady butterfly. Their blooms last about three weeks in the spring. Deer and rabbits are known to avoid this plant.

What's Blooming? May 18th, 2025

Golden Alexander

We’re back with our “What’s Blooming?” series, where we introduce you to plants currently in bloom and important for pollinators. Having plants in your yard that are in bloom during different times of the year is vital to keeping a pollinator garden active, and it also keeps your yard looking lovely throughout the year.

Golden Alexander serves a dual purpose. Not only does the nectar of the tiny yellow flowers of the Golden Alexander attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators, but it is also a host plant to the Black Swallowtail butterfly. In the fall, it even feeds birds!

Zizia aurea is native to most of the United States. It is very low-maintenance and easy to grow, especially after the first year.. It prefers sunny areas and can often be found in fields or along roadsides. However, it can tolerate partial sun and is fairly drought resistant (though it prefers consistent watering). It can handle a wide variety of soils, too. They typically bloom from mid-May through June, possibly even going into early July.