That's a pretty dense clump for an early Antennaria rosette - at least in this area. The leaves also don't seem to be spatulate enough for A. plantagnifolia. If I saw that in Arkansas, I would think Gamochaeta coarctata, or maybe purpurea. But you might have better soil and a happier plant, so just post back when it starts to bloom.

I think I'm coming down on jekeesl's side...thinking it doesn't look like species of pussytoes that I'm familiar with.

Thanks to both of you! I'm in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in the southeastern part of the state. We've had a wet, mild winter, with several cold spells, but no outright freezes, not cold enough to kill the tops back on my tropical milkweed.

But you're right about waiting for the blooms, that will tell the story.

Sherry

Please don’t forget to follow up on this, Miss Sherry. I have a lot of plants that look like this, at least to my untrained eye. I was going to dig one up and post the pictures here, but didn’t get around to it.

Antennaria plantaginifolia? 40 species with only parlinii ranging in s. Missisippi. And it's not A. parlinii. Was there any Lady activity on it Miss Sherry?

I'm seeing it for the first time, Jay, don't know if it was even there last year, although I think I would have remembered it had it been there. I did see a few American ladies, so there must be some host plants not too far off - now that I think about it, I saw one soft-leaved cudweed plant in my front yard this past summer (no cats) and there are several tough-leaves types with the basal rosette growing now.

I'll definitely follow up on this, Iris. I enjoy watching mystery plants grow and bloom to the point where I can ID them.

At least seeing this plant, whatever it is, made me realize what a good area this would be for American lady host plants!

Sherry

The mystery plant has grown a good bit taller and its main stem is very soft and white, just like sweet everlasting or rabbit tobacco. I hadn't considered that it could be sweet everlasting/rabbit tobacco, because the plants that grew at my country house just south of here had very narrow leaves. So, I looked it up and found pictures of both the narrow leaf type and a wider leaf type that looks exactly like my plant. Here's a picture I found on the web of one of the wide leaf types from Arkansas -

I'm very happy that a host plant for American ladies came up on its on. If American lady cats don't eat it down to the nub, I'm going to try to get some seeds and sow it on that sunny, dry side of the house where it grows.

I ordered some pussy toes earlier this year to plant in a raised bed with my lantana, another plant that doesn't like too much water but plenty of sun. I hope they thrive!

Sherry