Here we see one of the most enigmatically-named native September wildflowers, with its dew-dappled flower petals closed in this morning’s early chill.
Yesterday afternoon’s cluster of the plant shows its open, aster-like flowers:
The plant’s unusual common name is “pearly everlasting,” which derives from the plant’s leaf-like bracts – they are grayish and remain fresh-looking long after the flowers wilt, making them a favorite for dried flower arrangements. The plant’s scientific name is Anaphalis margaritacea, derived in part from “margarita, the Latin word for “pearl.”
In the spring, pearly everlasting is the host plant for the caterpillars of two of our most attractive ladies: the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) and American lady (Vanessa virginiensis) butterflies. It also has historic medicinal uses: Native Americans used the plant’s bracts for sore poultices and steamed or smoked them as inhalants for rheumatism and colds.
Gardeners use pearly everlasting carefully. Its creeping root system (rhizomes) can crowd out neighbors. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 18 and 19, 2022.)