Flower profile

Pearly everlasting

Anaphalis margaritacea

Native in the lower 48

Pearly everlasting is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–October.

40states

7of our state lists

24,236U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Washington, Wyoming

Quick look

Anaphalis margaritacea, commonly known as the western pearly everlasting or pearly everlasting, is an Asian and North American species of flowering perennial plant in the family Asteraceae.
From Wikipedia's article Anaphalis margaritacea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 40 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. ^iNaturalist
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 6,142 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #19 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,617 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #83 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,458 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #40 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist

Pearly everlasting gift ideas

Handmade pearly everlasting gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Pearly everlasting art print
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Pearly everlasting greeting card
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Pearly everlasting mug
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Pearly everlasting earrings
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Pearly everlasting embroidery pattern
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Pearly everlasting sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (6,346 records)

Bloom time in each of our 7 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Washington	Native	July–October	6,142
Minnesota	Native	July–October	1,617
Maine	Native	July–October	1,458
Montana	Native	July–September	1,235
Wyoming	Native	July–September	570
Idaho	Native	July–October	469
New Hampshire	Native	July–October	458

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (SH), IA (S1), IN (SX), NE (S1), NV (S2), VA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records pearly everlasting in 40 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pine, Ramsey, Roseau, St. Louis, Washington, Wright.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

More Washington flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in WA: May–September

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms: August–October

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in WA: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ANMA.
iNaturalist, Anaphalis margaritacea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Anaphalis margaritacea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Anaphalis margaritacea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Nick Kleinschmidt via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.