Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
- Plant Type
- Forb/herb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herb
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Silt, Rocky / Acidic
- Bloom
- June, July
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) with national ranks of N5 (Canada) and N4 (United States). Ranked S5 in both Ontario and Quebec, indicating a common and widespread species. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Pioneer of dry, open, disturbed ground across the Mixed Wood Shield. Typical habitats include dry sandy or rocky open places such as shores, dunes, fields, roadsides, railroad grades, and forest clearings following logging or fire. Locally very common in aspen savannas and mixed conifer-hardwood borders. In the Outaouais, herbarium records from Val-des-Monts and L'Ange-Gardien confirm occurrence on thin rocky soils and ruderal sites.
S7 disturbed areas, dry sandy/rocky; S4 dry prairies, open woods; S48 local specimens on rocky soils
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: spines? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- The silvery-white woolly foliage and pearly flower heads provide excellent textural and color contrast in dry meadow or prairie plantings. Its rhizomatous spread and drought tolerance make it a reliable filler in sunny, well-drained guild edges. Not listed in Hemenway but functions well in dry-site pollinator guilds alongside warm-season grasses and other prairie forbs.
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Anodyne, Antiseptic, Astringent, Expectorant, Sedative, Dermatological Aid, Respiratory Aid, Antidiarrheal
S29 anodyne, antiseptic, astringent, expectorant, sedative; S28 burn dressing, cold remedy, cough medicine, respiratory aid, dermatological aid, antidiarrheal
- Notes
- Extensively used by Indigenous peoples across North America. Cherokee smoked dried leaves for bronchial cough and catarrh, and inhaled steam of infusion for headaches. Algonquin Tete-de-Boule applied poultice of boiled leaves to burns. Iroquois used roots and stalks for diarrhea and dysentery. Chippewa used flower infusion as herbal steam for rheumatism and paralysis. Cheyenne used powdered flowers ceremonially and as horse medicine. The whole plant is anodyne, antiseptic, astringent, expectorant, and sedative.
S28 43 ethnobotanical uses across multiple nations; S29 medicinal summary
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
Seed Source
- Localeaf / Akene