Robin's Plaintain
Erigeron pulchellus 'Lynnhaven's Carpet'
A fast-spreading, low mat of fuzzy leaves topped with lavender-pink daisies in May and June. The groundcover for shady slopes where lawn gives up.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
One of the best native spreading groundcovers for shady slopes with spring flowers included.
Robin's Plantain spreads by stolons to form a soft, low mat of fuzzy, spatula-shaped leaves topped in spring and early summer with cheerful lavender-pink daisy flowers. The cultivar 'Lynnhaven's Carpet' is selected for especially vigorous spreading and compact habit, making it one of the most useful native groundcovers for shady slopes, woodland edges, and spots where lawn grass has given up. The flowers are small but produced abundantly from May into June, and native bees work them enthusiastically. Once established, it crowds out weeds effectively and handles foot traffic better than most flowering groundcovers. The foliage stays semi-evergreen in mild winters, providing year-round coverage. This is the plant to reach for when you're tired of mulching a difficult shaded slope.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown robin's plaintain propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant robin's plaintain instead of Vinca minor (periwinkle). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 4–10 in · 12–24 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring to early summer
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from Quebec south to Georgia and west to Minnesota
Care notes for robin's plaintain.
Plant in full sun to part shade in average to moist, well-drained soil. Adaptable to most soil types. Mow or shear lightly after bloom to encourage dense growth. Divide every few years to reinvigorate. Spreads steadily. a feature in open areas, manageable in borders.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside robin's plaintain.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.