Anaphalis margaritacea - pearly everlasting
Anaphalis is a large genus (~110 species) of perennial herbs to subshrubs (woody base and herbaceous shoots) with only 1 species, Anaphalis margaritacea, found in the pacific northwest (FNA 1993+). It is a valuable plant for native landscapes and restoration projects because of its ability to quickly grow in disturbed areas, its wide range of soil tolerance (can grow in moist soils except fir constantly saturated soils), its ability to compete with exotic weeds and invasive species, its long flowering time, and its value to numerous pollinators. This species is available in the native plant trade but is not a widely used horticultural species, despite its potential. It has a somewhat aggressive growth habit and can spread vegetatively in areas quickly. It should be used in situations where this is an asset rather than a labiality. It is recommended for use in areas that need erosion control (Colleen 2006).
Seed Propagation
This plant flowers into the summer and fall (OregonFlora 2022) and seeds mature into the fall and beyond. Collect fruit when the stem supporting the tissue is dry and brown and/or the fruits are easily dislodged from the plant. The fruits of this species are dispersed by wind so collection at time of seed maturity increases the number of fruits available. The fruits are single seeded achenes and are comprised of a relatively large pappus (~5+ mm) and a small portion (~1 mm at its widest) that contains the seed. The pappus may make this species difficult to separate using commercial seed processing equipment (Colleen 2006).
Seeds collected during the fall of 2021, air dried and stored at room temperature, and sown 2/11/2022 began germinating 11 days after sowing. There was higher germination for seeds sown on top of potting mix compared to seeds lightly covered with potting mix, indicating seeds may prefer light for germination. The application of GA (soaking seeds in a solution of 1000 ppm Gibberellic Acid for 24 hours) that may overcome physiological dormancy did not significantly improve germination. By 2 months after seeding, plants had a few sets of true leaves. Seeds were sown in 48-cell plug trays with a potting mix (45% mulch, 25% peat moss, 20% pumice, 5% vermiculite and 5% perlite) and placed in a climate-controlled research greenhouse located on the Portland State University campus in Portland, Oregon.
Others have also reported seeds require no pretreatments to germinate (Emery 1998 and citations therein). Others have also reported successful fall sowing of cleaned seed in an agricultural row cropping system (Colleen 2006).
Cutting propagation
Plants are easily propagated by rhizome divisions. Cut the rhizome with a sharp knife and if possible, cut propagules that have root, stem, and shoot tissue. Plants can be dug up and transplanted or propagated and grown in containers.