# pearly everlasting (*Anaphalis margaritacea*) Pearly everlasting is a pretty flower that looks like it has little white pearls! It grows in sunny places and can be found in fields and along roadsides. These flowers are special because they can stay beautiful even when dried. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![pearly everlasting](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Anapahlis_margaritacea.jpg&width=800) Photo: Pendragon39, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anapahlis_margaritacea.jpg) ## Appearance The pearly everlasting has slender, woolly stems and narrow, grey-green leaves. Its clusters of small, pearl-like white flowers, often with a tiny yellow center, appear in late summer. The papery, dry bracts surrounding the flowers give them a unique, lasting quality. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Anaphalis ## Interesting facts - Ancient peoples sometimes used its fluffy seed parachutes to stuff pillows for comfort. - Even when picked, its pearl-white flowers can keep their shape and color for years! - It's a "pioneer," often one of the first plants to grow back after a forest fire! - Its papery flowers feel like tiny, soft pearls – a truly unique texture! ## Special abilities - **Everlasting Bloom:** Pearly everlasting has papery white bracts that keep its flowers looking fresh, attracting pollinators longer. - **Woolly Protection:** Pearly everlasting has fuzzy stems and leaves that protect it from harsh weather and reduce water loss. - **Fire Resilience:** Its seeds can sprout quickly after a forest fire, allowing it to colonize disturbed areas rapidly. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Pollinates:** Painted lady butterfly (*Vanessa cardui*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding in pollination. - **Eaten by:** Gorgone Checkerspot (*Chlosyne gorgone*) — Larvae feed on its leaves. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Everblooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/everblooming): Everblooming plants produce flowers continuously or in repeated flushes over a long period. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify pearly everlasting? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is pearly everlasting? 30-90 cm ### How wide does pearly everlasting spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on pearly everlasting? 0.5-1 cm ### When does pearly everlasting bloom? Summer to fall ### Is pearly everlasting edible? No ### Is pearly everlasting toxic? None ### What is pearly everlasting's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Marymoor Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marymoor-park) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve - [Polebridge Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/polebridge-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [E.C. Manning Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/e-c-manning-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Garibaldi Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/garibaldi-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Assinins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/assinins) — Michigan, US · Neighborhood - [Belly River Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belly-river-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District [View all places to see pearly everlasting](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pearly-everlasting) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Pearly Everlasting: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pearly-everlasting)