This fuzzy white wildflower is popping up everywhere right now
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
If you spot papery white flower clusters with yellow centers along a dry trail or roadside this week, you're likely looking at pearly everlasting in peak bloom, a native plant that dries beautifully for winter bouquets and feeds American lady butterfly caterpillars.
Pearly everlasting is a native wildflower with clusters of small white, papery-looking blooms that stay fresh-looking even after drying, which is how it got its name. Right now hundreds of people on iNaturalist are photographing it in the wild, meaning it's blooming heavily across North America this week. It's a great one to learn to identify because it's drought-tolerant, supports butterflies, and holds its shape if you cut it for dried arrangements.
Key Findings
215 research-grade observations of Anaphalis margaritacea were logged in a single week on iNaturalist
The species ranks among the most-observed plants on the platform this week, indicating a bloom peak
Pearly everlasting is native to North America and serves as a larval host plant for American lady butterflies
chevron_right Technical Summary
Pearly everlasting is having a big moment on iNaturalist this week, with 215 verified sightings logged by citizen scientists across its range. The spike signals the plant is in peak bloom right now, making it an easy find for anyone out on a late-summer walk.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) — 215 observations this week
pearly everlasting is among the most observed plant species this week with 215 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Anaphalis is a genus of herbaceous and woody flowering plants within the family Asteraceae, whose members are commonly known by the name pearl or pearly everlasting. There are around 110 species with the vast majority being native to central and southern Asia. There is one species native to North...