Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea)

Pearly Everlasting brings a peaceful quality to a planting—subtle, silvery, and quietly beautiful. Its soft gray-green foliage forms a tidy base that’s lovely even before the blooms arrive. Then in mid to late summer, clusters of papery white flowers with golden centers appear, floating above the plant like little pearls on tall, upright stems. The flowers retain their form and color long after blooming, earning their name for how beautifully they dry—lasting well into winter, whether left standing in the garden or brought indoors for arrangements.

It thrives in poor, dry soils and full sun, making it a natural fit for gravel gardens, sandy prairies, and xeric plantings. 

Growing Conditions
Light: Full sun
Soil: Dry to medium; sandy or rocky soils preferred
Height: 1.5–3 feet
Spread: 1–2 feet
Zones: 3–8
Bloom time: July through September

Wildlife Value
Pearly Everlasting is a host plant for the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis), whose caterpillars roll themselves into its leaves for shelter. The flowers are also visited by small native bees and flies seeking late-summer nectar, and the plant provides cover and structure through fall and winter.

Blooms Alongside:  Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis), Purple coneflower (echinacea purpurea)