Narrow grey-green leaves topped with tight clusters of pearly white flowerheads like tiny daisies: pearly everlasting (Anaphalis) grows in poor, sandy ground, survives long droughts, and its summer blooms dry beautifully for lasting bouquets. Give it full sun, the one thing it truly insists on, and it will flower where little else will.
| Botanical name | Anaphalis sp. |
|---|---|
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Type | perennial |
| Bearing | upright clump |
| Height | 6 to 28 inches (15 to 70 cm) depending on the species |
| Planting density | 4 to 8 plants per sq. yard (m²) |
| Soil type | any type, well drained |
| Exposure | full sun |
Anaphalis is a family of perennials that bloom in a similar manner to that of the Italian everlasting. Each one is able to grow in poor soil and survive long droughts, which makes it the perfect choice for difficult gardens and beginner gardeners.
Even though it has a preference for poor and sandy soil, pearly everlasting will nonetheless do well in humus-rich soil. The only true requirement this perennial has is the need for full sun.
It’s thus pretty important to plant this flower in an area that has lots of sun for it to thrive.
The planting doesn’t require anything specific in terms of preparation. Simply dig a hole more or less 10 inches (20 cm) deep and settle the plant clump in the hole, pressing the soil well as you backfill. Ideally, you’d do this in Autumn (October, November), so that the perennial has a few cool months to spread its roots underground. Quite a lot of flexibility is allowed by this family of drought-resistant plants that is the Anaphalis genus, so Spring planting is also possible on the condition that you check on the watering from time to time.
Anaphalis can be planted in two different seasons and increased in two different ways, and the choice mostly comes down to how much watching over you are willing to do. Here is how the options compare.
| Job | When | How | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planting a clump | Mid to late autumn | Dig a hole about 10 inches (20 cm) deep, settle the clump and press the soil as you backfill | The ideal slot: roots spread through the cool months |
| Planting a clump | Spring | Same method, no special preparation required | Check on the watering from time to time |
| Dividing the clump | Autumn | Lift the whole clump, break it into several smaller clumps, replant each one elsewhere | The simplest and quickest way to propagate |
| Sowing seed | After flowering | Harvest the seeds once the blooms are over and sow them | Slower, and the seeds are not always fertile |
Whatever the season, the site matters more than the soil: full sun is the one thing this perennial insists on.
Care won’t take any time and basically consists of pruning off older, wilted flowers.
To propagate anaphalis, the simplest and quickest solution is to divide the clump. In a nutshell, you just dig the whole clump out of the ground in Fall, break it into several smaller clumps, and plant each back in a new place. You can also go for seed reproduction by harvesting seeds after the flowering. However, it takes longer and sometimes the seeds aren’t always fertile.
These particularly vigorous perennials resist diseases well. Moreover, parasites, pests and other buggers don’t seem interested in their foliage.
Since they resist hardship so well, anaphalis will excel in difficult spots such as rocky terrain. Of course, it’s perfectly legitimate to use a row of them along edges or in flower beds in healthy soil, too! Pairing these plants will usually be the chance to highlight other perennials that have a strongly contrasting leafage, harmoniously answering the Anaphalis’ silvery gray foliage. Examples that stand out are, for instance, Ophiopogon, knotweed, Anchusa, etc.
Also called the “Virginia immortal”, this variety is one of the tallest (2 to 2½ feet or 60 to 70 cm). Its light green to grayish leaves are narrow and lance-shaped. It blooms from July to September.
This variety grows into a compact form that is shorter and denser. Its silver gray oval leaves are wider.
The summer flowers are ideal for composing bouquets or collecting dried flowers.
