[5] The flower heads are lined with an outer layer of phyllaries which are translucent except at the base, where they vary from white, red, green, and brown.

[4] Features that distinguish the species from other members of Antennaria include the clustered basal leaves and the near absence of dark bases on the backs of the flower bracts.

[3] The species is native to western and central North America and widespread in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico—from British Columbia east to Ontario and south to California, Chihuahua, and Nuevo León.

[5] Some forms of the small-leaf pussytoes are considered excellent groundcovers, particularly by gardeners of the American great plains.

They are valued for their handsome foliage, their spring flowers, and for their lack of an aggressive nature in even the most ideal of garden conditions.