Anaphalis margaritacea , or Pearly everlasting, is a herbaceous perennial or biennial with long-lasting, yellowish-white flowers resembling tiny asters. In some cases, the plant will overwinter as a low rosette of leaves, while in other cases, the plant completes its growth and development within a single year The plant is found throughout North America and typically grows wild in moist meadows, by rivers, and in sandy and waste places. The dried stalks with their pure white flowers are attractive in dried floral arrangements. Pearly everlasting grows best in a light, well-drained, moist soil with full sun. However, it tolerates most soils, including dry or poor ones, and light shade. It seems to do well in the shade of buildings, but not the shade of trees, and it tolerates drought better than most species of Anaphalis. Pearly everlasting tolerates frost and usually flowers in late summer with seeds ripening in the fall. The plant is dioecious (that is, individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant) thus both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. However, it is an easy plant to propagate by division. The stem has a soft gray color from the hairs on its surface that makes it a good plant for separating other bold colored flowers that might otherwise clash. Its short stature lends itself to use as an edging plant. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect issues. It is somewhat susceptible to damage from caterpillars and it can spread aggressively under optimum growing conditions.
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
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 9 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear; Oblong
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are up to 3 inches long and 1/3 inch across, becoming smaller as they ascend the stems. The upper surface of each leaf is mostly hairless and dark green to yellowish green, while the lower surface is whitish green and covered with woolly hairs. Each leaf has a prominent central vein. Foliage has a slight balsam scent.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Gray/Silver; White
Flower value
Good Dried; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Long-lasting, yellowish-white flowers resemble tiny asters. Each mature plant terminates in a flat-headed panicle of flowerheads; each panicle is made up of several small corymbs of 2 to 5 flowerheads. Individual flowerheads are ¼ inch long and white to cream-colored; they are conical-oblongoid in shape. The sides of each flowerhead consist of many overlapping bracts that are white or cream-colored; these scale-like bracts are oblong-lanceolate to broadly oblong-lanceolate and they have blunt tips. At the apex of each flowerhead, there are many disk florets that are pale yellow to light brown; the innermost florets are perfect (both staminate and pistillate), while the remaining florets are pistillate. Each tiny floret is narrowly tubular. The blooming period occurs from late summer to early fall and lasts about a month.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Flowerheads become wider and more open as their achenes become mature.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
A central stem, unbranched in the lower half, short ascending branches in the upper half. The central and upper stems are whitish green to nearly white from the woolly hairs that cover their surfaces.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America, Europe, Asia
Wildlife value
Food plant for Painted lady butterflies.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Dyes can be obtained from the flowers, stems and leaves. The leaves, flowers and stems have been used as an incense.