Pearly Everlasting vs Prairie Crocus - TreeTime.ca

Pearly Everlasting vs Prairie Crocus

Anaphalis margaritacea

Pulsatilla nuttalliana (Anemone patens)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Pearly Everlasting
Prairie Crocus

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.

Prairie Crocus is a native perennial wildflower that is often considered one of the first signs of spring. The flowers can range from purple, pale blue, to white and often appear before the snow has fully melted. It can bloom a month earlier than other spring flowers, providing an early source of pollen for a variety of pollinators.

The plant is covered in woolly white hairs, including the finely divided leaves, giving them a silvery appearance. Prairie Crocus leaves do not fully emerge until after it has bloomed. The spent blooms transform into fluffy, feathery seed heads. During the hot summer months, the Prairie Crocus goes dormant and will repeat its life cycle the following spring.

The Prairie Crocus is Manitoba’s provincial flower.

As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Pearly Everlasting Quick Facts

Prairie Crocus Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Spreading: seeds - medium, rhizomes - low


Toxicity: all parts toxic if eaten, sap can irritate skin
Foliage: wooly hairs
Foliage: fuzzy, finely divided leaves
Flowers: white, papery, with yellow centers
Flowers: pale purple, cup-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Bloom time: early spring
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: western pearly everlasting
Other Names: american pasqueflower, crocus anemone, pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie smoke