How to Grow and Care for Everlastings

Gray everlasting is a South American native known for its green, silky, teardrop-shaped leaves that grow in a rosette lying flat very close to the surface. Chewing this plant's leaf is similar to chewing non-sticky gum, hence the common name Poor man's chewing gum. Its cotton-like white strands are used to produce wool pillows or mattresses.

Native to South America, the pennsylvania everlasting became widely naturalized worldwide. It is an annual herbaceous plant from the sunflower family (Gamochaeta pensylvanica) that thrives well in disturbed areas. It has a woolly appearance - from its greenish and spiky flower heads to its leaves and lower surface covered in white hairs.

Purple cudweed (Gamochaeta purpurea), while native to North America, is a low-growing plant that has spread to many parts of the world, where it is often classed as an invasive weed. The plant's wind-borne seeds propagate and spread rapidly. Purple cudweed has small but attractive purple flowers.

Simple-stem everlasting displays a slender profile with softly hairy, lance-shaped leaves that clasp around its stem. In the wild, its modest height allows it to thrive low on the meadow floor, adapting to receive dappled sunlight. Its inconspicuous flower heads, often purplish, harmonize with the greens of its environment, displaying nature's understated elegance.

Narrowleaf purple everlasting is characterized by its low-growing, clumping habit with soft lance-shaped leaves that gradate to a silvery sheen. The small purple blooms, nestled among the foliage, emerge prominently in spring. Adaptable, narrowleaf purple everlasting thrives in various soils, its compact form resistant to drought, indicating a resilience suited to diverse environments.