Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'
Erigeron pulchellus 'Lynnhaven Carpet' · Asteraceae
A dense, weed-proof mat of soft, grey-green, fuzzy leaves with pale lavender daisies on short stems in spring. A native groundcover for dry shade.
- Size
- 6 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Early May to late May
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'
The planner designed this bed around Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' × 16, lavender
- 2 Coral bells 'Firefly' × 8, red
- 3 Garden phlox 'David' × 3, white
- 4 Blue wood aster × 5, lavender
- 5 Globe arborvitae 'Danica' × 1, green leaves
- 6 Shooting star × 8, pink
- 7 Hyacinth 'Delft Blue' × 5, blue
- 8 Surprise lily × 10, pink
Why this plant
- Nothing here is unique to it. Its leaf, flower shape and colour are all on the plan already. Its case rests on where it stands and when it performs.
Why here
- On the front edge. At 6 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 66% of the edge.
- 16 plants in 4 runs (5, 5, 3 and 3). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From early May to late May.
- Part of the bed's peak. With shooting star and hyacinth 'Delft Blue' in early May: 3 kinds at once. No week has more.
Planned as an English border: 7 of the 8 groups (88%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. It is planted in layers: about 10 in at the front, 22 in in the middle and 3 ft at the back. Coral bells 'Firefly' and globe arborvitae 'Danica' carry the bed through winter.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' goes in a border
At 6 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is ground-hugging (up to 6 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
A good native substitute for lamb's ear in shade: the same soft, grey texture, on a plant that tolerates tree roots and drought.
- Native groundcover for dry shade
- Edging a woodland path
- Covering slopes
What to plant with Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Christmas fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; tall enough (20 in) to stand behind it.
- Wild ginger: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones.
- Woodland phlox: in flower together for four weeks, from early May; tall enough (12 in) to stand behind it.
Questions about Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'
Does Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' need sun or shade?
Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Early May to early June |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Early May to late May |
| Zone 6 | Late April to late May |
| Zone 7 | Mid April to mid May |
| Zone 8 | Mid April to early May |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 6 in (15 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used 16 in four groups.
Is Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in pets if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'?
These come closest to doing what Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Bugleweed 'Black Scallop': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; blue, not lavender, wants moist soil.
- Creeping woodland phlox: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour.
- Barren strawberry: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; yellow, not lavender, keeps its leaves in winter.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
What flowers after Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet'?
Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Creeping thyme: from early June to mid July, 3 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
- Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
What does Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' look like in winter?
Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' good for bees and butterflies?
Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet' is visited by pollinators, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Erigeron
- Mexican fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus
- Seaside daisy Erigeron glaucus
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Native perennials for pollinators
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Groundcover plants
- Silver and grey-leaved plants
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
In flower in: May
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 6 in (15 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Ground-hugging (up to 6 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early May to late May; daisies; lavender
- Leaves
- Medium texture, semi-evergreen; grey-green
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Comes from
- East Canada to U.S.A
- Attracts
- Pollinators, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Drought, heat, humidity
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.