Common Names
Pearly Everlasting, Western Pearly Everlasting

Botanical Name
Anaphalis margaritacea

Plant Family
Asteraceae (Daisy Family)

Native Range
North America, Mexico, parts of Asia

Life Cycle
Perennial

Hardiness Zone
3-9

Habit
Clump forming perennial spreading to form a dense patch. 2ft tall. The leaves of Pearly everlasting are deep grey-green above and downy white below. The blooms are long lasting, as the common name would suggest, and work very well as cut flowers or in dried flower arrangements. The plants are delightful to have in the garden, and worthy of ornamental status.

Sun/Soil
Likes a spot in full sun and prefer loose, very well-drained soil with little to no irrigation throughout the summer.

Germination/Sowing
Seeds germinate easily and can be direct sown in fall or spring, or started in flats in the spring and then transplanted out. 

Growing/Care
Pearly Everlasting is easy to care for. It tends to self-seed so may be cut back after blooming to prevent spreading.

Harvesting
Pearly Everlasting bursts into bloom around mid-August and its blooms hold strong through until the first rains of early fall. When in bloom the aerial parts can be harvested and dried for tea or adding to smoking blends. The herb also makes a lovely tincture, and infused honey. Pearly Everlasting dries very nicely and the dried herb keeps very nicely in flavor and colour for longer than many herbs; for a year and a half or more if stored properly. 

The pearly-white flowers are ‘everlasting’ in dried flower arrangements.

Culinary Uses
None known.

Medicinal Uses
It has been a traditional medicine for many North American indigenous tribes, but is little known in the Western Herbal material medica.

This is a mild medicine that is delightfully pleasant and remarkably sweet in taste. Since the dried herb keeps so well and the flavour is so lovely, Pearly Everlasting is a good herb to have on hand for your winter tea blends. The herb is astringent, mildly analgesic, and antiseptic.

It also acts as a mild antihistamine, and that action combined with its pain relieving and astringent properties make Pearly Everlasting useful for calming seasonal allergies, and drying up the excess mucus production that may be produced in response.

Themes
Native Plant Garden, Apothecary Garden, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance, Deer Resistant, Attracts Pollinators, Container Garden, Cut Flowers.