Not to be confused with: Pearlworts such as Heath Pearlwort nor with Mountain Everlasting [plants with similar names].

Superficial resemblance to : Astrantia which also has white bracts.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The silvery greyish multiple petal-like bracts similar to a pine cone surrounding a shaving-brush type protrusion of florets similar to that of knapweed but yellow, not purple.

More likely to be found in a garden than growing wild, although it does readily grow wild in uplands, undisturbed brush, and roadsides.

Not to be confused with : Mountain Everlasting (Antennaria dioica), which belongs to a differing genus within the same Daisy & Dandelion family (Asteraceae).

There are 110 different species of Pearly Everlasting, and this is one of them. It is the only one that grows wild in the UK. The cut flowers tend to last a long time - since the bracts are without chlorophyll and are already silvery white, they do not change colour much, but the inner flowers tend to go brownish. They can be used for house decoration over winter.

Pearly Everlasting is dioecious. The seeds are, like Dandelion seeds, on long thin hairs with a 'parachute' at the far end, which enables them to be carried on the slightest of breezes. The stems are thickish, greyish white with fine hairs, brittle and dry.

The name possibly derives from the confusion of pearly white bracts surrounding the flower, rather than the flower being like a pearl, although there may be a bit of both in the name.