White Meadowsweet vs Pearly Everlasting - TreeTime.ca

White Meadowsweet vs Pearly Everlasting

Spiraea alba

Anaphalis margaritacea

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

White Meadowsweet
Pearly Everlasting

White Meadowsweet is a woody, deciduous shrub that begins to bloom in early summer with small white and pink flowers. Its foliage turns from a light green into an attractive golden-yellow later in the fall.

The White Meadowsweet, also known as Mead-Wort or Bride-Wort, is favored by birds and butterflies but is largely ignored by deer. They produce small brown berries in the summer, and while they are technically edible, they are not sweet and are more desired by wildlife.

Pearly Everlasting is a native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of white, papery flowers with yellow centres. These long-lasting blooms appear throughout summer, and the silver-grey foliage adds contrast to the landscape. Its nectar supports a variety of pollinators and serves as a host plant for painted lady caterpillars.

Pearly Everlasting is also used in dried flower arrangements. It is well-suited for pollinator gardens, naturalization, ecological restoration, and low-maintenance landscapes.

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Pearly Everlasting Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: high


Foliage: wooly hairs
Fall colour: golden yellow
Flowers: white, small
Flowers: white, papery, with yellow centers
Bloom time: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem
Other Names: western pearly everlasting