Pearly Everlasting

Anaphalis margaritacea

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  • Common name
    Pearly Everlasting
  • Latin name
    Anaphalis margaritacea
  • Plant type
    perennial
  • Flower color
    White bracts with yellow centers (the "petals" are actually tough, dry, pearl-white bracts surrounding tiny yellow center discs)
  • Bloom time
    Mid summer to mid fall
  • Height
    12–24"
  • Chelsea chop
    Yes
  • Light requirements
    Full sun to part shade (It produces the most compact, silver-dense growth when grown in full sun.)
  • Moisture
    Average to dry (It is extremely drought-tolerant and functions exceptionally well in poor, sandy, gravelly, or stony soils where other plants fail. It spreads via underground rhizomes but controls its own growth in highly dry locations.)
  • Native to Ontario
    Yes
  • Locally native
    Yes
  • Deer resistant
    Yes
  • Ecological benefit
    It serves as a primary larval host plant for both the American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies. The caterpillars feed on the woolly leaves and weave them together with silk to create protective larval "tents".
  • Notes
    Silvery foliage adds visual contrast in gardens. “Everlasting” flowers retain shape when dried (great for arrangements). Spreads by rhizomes—can form colonies over time. Left standing through winter, the sturdy, cottony stalks provide structure for overwintering native insects to harbor within, while the remaining seed heads feed local wintering songbirds.
  • Picture
    Pearly Everlasting