Anaphalis margaritacea
PEARLY EVERLASTING, WESTERN PEARLY EVERLASTING
Family: Asteraceae
Pronounced: a-NAF-uh-lus mar-gar-ee-tuh-KEE-uh
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE

Origin:
North America
Plant Group:
Perennial.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: Not listed.
USDA zones: 3b-9b.
Heat zones: 8-1.
Mature size:
Height: 24 inches (60 cm).
Width: 24 inches (60 cm).
Flowering period:
Midsummer to autumn.
Flowering attributes:
White papery bracts surround small, yellow disk flowers. The papery bracts last indefinitely when dried.
Leaf attributes:
Lance-shaped, white, woolly leaves turn green as they age, with white, woolly hairs underneath.
Light:
Sun to part shade.
Soil:
Fertile, moist, well-drained soil is best, but A. margaritacea can be found in a variety of soil types including dry, gravelly beds.
Propagation Methods:
Collect seed from July to September and sow in spring.
Divide in spring or fall every 3 years or when clumps become too dense.
Softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer.
Rainy Side Notes


Anaphalis margaritacea is the only species from this genus found in North America. Anaphalis came from a Greek name for a similar plant. Since the flowers are pearl-like, its epithet, margaritacea, comes from the Latin word for pearl.
Ethnobotany
The native perennial was used medicinally by many Native Americans across the continent. Some common traditions included burn dressing by the Algonquin, while the Cherokee exploited it for headaches, colds, respiratory aid, and the eyes and throat. The Chippewa used the flowers for rheumatism and paralysis; the Iroquois used them to treat diarrhea and other ailments.
Northwest native tribes such as the Quileute utilized the whole plant as a steam bath to help with rheumatism. The Makah believed the plant made sores, so their children could not play with it.
Tea is made for digestion problems, while others smoke it as a tobacco substitute. The plant is still employed as an anti-inflammatory, a poultice for bruises, and astringent. Amazingly, some use the plant for mattress and pillow stuffing.
In the Garden
A typical plant in disturbed areas, pearly everlasting is helpful for the home garden. For my own, I plant this native for its dried-cut flowers and as a nectar source for beneficial insects. It's famous for dried flower gatherers, the papery white bracts surrounding the yellow flower dry well. For those who plant for wildlife, pearly everlasting attracts butterflies; include it in the butterfly garden, even if many think it is a weed!
A. margaritacea is dioecious; both males and females are necessary for seed production.
I photographed these plants at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington, in the blast zone at Mt. St. Helens in Washington State, and somewhere along the Oregon Coast.

Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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