Is Rabbit Tobacco a Gray Weed?

Appearance

• Rabbit tobacco has an erect habit, growing to a height around 1 to 2 1/2 feet tall. The plant's scientific name comes from its appearance: gnaphalon is Greek for lock of wool, in reference to the stem's fuzzy hairs, while obtusifolium is Latin for dull or blunt leaf, in reference to the rounded leaves. The 3-inch-long leaves are smooth and green on top and with wooly and grayundersides. White flower clusters appear in the summer, followed by dry, papery seeds.

Culture

• A native of eastern North America, rabbit tobacco frequently grows in fields, on the edges of woods and in dry, disturbed sites. Though tolerant of light shade, the plant prefers a bright, sunny area. The seeds will not germinate without light. Rabbit tobacco will produce its best growth in sandy or silty soil. It is not picky about water. It may survive the winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 6 and go on to produce seeds in spring.

Features

• A member of the aster family, rabbit tobacco is a weed to some and a wildflower to others, blooming for a month with egg-shaped flowers that attract short-tongued bees, wasps and flies. The plant provides forage for white-tailed deer and may also attract wild turkeys. While the flowers do not have much of a scent, the leaves have a pleasing aroma. When dried, the leaves stay fragrant.

Lookalikes

• Rabbit tobacco is similar in appearance to members of the cat's ears genus (Antennaria spp.). Cat's ears have long, fuzzy gray leaves and grayish white, spring-blooming flowers. Cat's ears are perennial plants suitable for USDA zones 3 through 9, where they require full sun and well-draining soil. Like rabbit tobacco, cat's ears dislike wet conditions and do best with little to medium moisture. They are especially well suited as ground cover in a rock garden.