Sweet Everlasting is a summer annual or biennial plant with silvery-green stems and leaves in the daisy family. The underside of the leaves, stems and base of bracts of this plant are covered with dense white woolly hairs. The root system is fibrous and the plant propagates itself by self-seeding. Its narrow elliptical leaves are aromatic when crushed. It is usually found in openings, woodlands, coastal dunes, sandy pinelands, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Rosulate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Linear; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Rosette of leaves at the base alternate leaves ascend the stem 3" long and 1/3" wide smooth to slightly undulate margins with prominent central vein. Upper surface of leaf is green with a few hairs and the underside is covered in silvery wooly hairy. Leaves give off maple syrup smell when crushed.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Corymb; Panicle
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Branching panicle of corymbs of yellow or brown buds that emerge to white tubular flower heads on 1-2 ft. stem. Flowers are 1/4". Blooms from late summer to early fall, August to November.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Brown bullet shaped achene with tufts of white hairs displays from September to December and are distributed by wind.
Stem color
Gray/Silver; Green; White
Stem detail
Stems almost white with silvery soft hairs.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
East Canada to U.S.A
Distribution
Alberta east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Nebraska and Minnesota.
Wildlife value
This plant supports American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) larvae. The American Lady has flights throughout the whole year in the Deep South as well as South Texas, but have 3-4 broods in most areas which occur from May through November. Short-tongued bees, wasps, and flies. Wild turkey and deer browse the foliage.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Pollinators; Specialized Bees
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Has been used in traditional medicine to treat colds, fevers and sore throats.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Garden for the Blind; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#tubular flowers #naturalizes #low maintenance #NC native #food source herbage #food source fall #sandy soils tolerant #butterfly friendly #Audubon #wild turkeys #pollinator plant #wind dispersed seeds #predatory insects #fragrant leaves #larval host plant #flowers early fall #deer browsing plant #flowers late summer #specialized bees #self-seeding #disturbed areas #roadside #american lady butterfly #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #wildlife friendly #meadow #wildflower #fragrant flowers #weedy