Mountain everlasting

Mountain everlasting: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, dense mat of leaf rosettes, about 5 cm tall and up to 30 cm wide; flower stems up to 15 cm.

Leaves

Small and spoon-shaped, 1–3 cm, grey-green above and silvery white and felted underneath; evergreen.

Flower

Small flower heads in dense clusters at the top of the stem, from May to July; white on male plants, pink to rose-red on female plants.

Separate sexes

There are separate male and female plants; only female plants set seed.

Roots

Shallow, with surface runners that root where they touch the ground.

Flowering: May–July · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• Silver-grey foliage that looks good all year round, even in winter.
• Native and now rare: growing it in your garden helps a threatened species.
• Butterflies and other insects visit the flower heads.
• A tough ground cover for poor, dry sandy soil in full sun.
• The flower heads are everlastings: dried, they keep their shape and colour.

Mountain everlasting: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: in shade the mat becomes sparse and bare.
• Poor, acid to neutral sandy soil; no fertiliser and no compost.
• Dry: it tolerates long droughts, but not wet soil in winter.
• Keep competition away: it cannot cope with grass or tall plants growing over it.
• Plant 20–25 cm apart for a closed mat.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Dry

Size

0.15 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Heather: The same poor, acid sandy soil: together they make a true heathland garden.
• Wild thyme: A fragrant, flowering mat alongside, also good for bees and butterflies.
• Harebell: Fine blue bells above the silver-grey mat.
• Sheep’s bit: Blue pompons for the same dry, sandy soil.
• Sheep’s fescue: A fine, low grass that suits the heathland feel.

Mountain everlasting: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October.
2. Loosen the soil and mix heavy or rich soil with plenty of sand or fine gravel; add no compost or fertiliser.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, certainly no deeper: the rosettes should sit on the surface.
4. Keep 20–25 cm between plants.
5. Water in moderately and keep the soil slightly moist for the first few weeks.
6. Spread a layer of gravel or coarse sand around the plant against rot and weeds.

Care

Watering

Only for the first few weeks after planting; after that it copes even in dry summers.

Feeding

Never: in rich soil it grows soft and rots more easily.

Weeding

Pull grass and weeds out of the mat by hand before they smother it.

Deadheading

Snip off the faded flower stems in July for a neat, silver-grey mat.

Rejuvenating

If the centre goes bare, every few years take young rosettes from the edge and replant them.

Tip: If you want both white and pink flower heads, plant male and female plants. Buy them in flower so you can see the difference straight away.

Mountain everlasting: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: After flowering, in July, snip off the faded flower stems. Otherwise it needs no pruning.

How:

• Cut the stems off just above the mat of leaves.
• Leave a few if you want seed or like the dried flower heads.
• In spring, carefully remove any dead rosettes.

Caution: Never cut into the grey mat itself: it grows back only slowly.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April or September, detach rooted rosettes from the edge of the mat and replant them elsewhere, or grow them on in a pot of sandy compost.

Seed

Sow in spring on sandy seed compost and barely cover the seed. For viable seed you need a female plant with a male plant nearby.

Mountain everlasting: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −35 °C, and evergreen.
• Wet winters are the greatest danger: choose a well-drained spot.
• Remove fallen leaves from the mat so that it does not rot.
• In a pot or trough: use poor, sandy compost with grit and keep it out of the worst of the rain.

Diseases and pests

• Rot: Brown, rotting rosettes after a wet winter. Plant in a well-drained spot and spread grit around the base.
• Overgrown: Grass and weeds grow through the mat. Weed regularly by hand.
• Bare centre: Older mats go bare in the middle. Rejuvenate them by replanting young rosettes from the edge.
• Soft and green: Soil that is too rich or too much shade makes it soft and less silvery. Choose a poor, sunny spot.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Remove dead rosettes.
• April: Plant or divide.
• May: Flowering begins.
• June: Full flower. Butterflies visit the flower heads.
• July: End of flowering. Snip off faded stems.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Clear fallen leaves from the mat.
• November: Remove fallen leaves.

Good for wildlife

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The name dioica means ‘two houses’: male and female flowers grow on separate plants.
• The name Antennaria refers to the bristles of the male flowers, which resemble the antennae of insects.
• The English name cat’s foot and the French pied-de-chat both refer to the soft, woolly flower heads, which look like little cat’s paws.