Photo: Kajetan Dzierżanowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Annual · Asteraceae
Annual everlasting
Xeranthemum annuum
In other languages: Xeranthemum (Nederlands) · Xéranthème annuel (Français)
Annual everlasting is a paper-flowered annual from southern Europe and western Asia. It forms straight, branching stems of 50–70 cm with narrow, silver-grey, slightly woolly leaves. From July to September it bears daisy-like flowers in pink, purple and white, sometimes double. The papery ‘petals’ are in fact dry bracts, so the flowers already look dried on the plant. That makes it a classic for dried bouquets and a good choice for sunny, dry, poor soil.
Light
Full sun
warm and bright
Moisture
Dry
tolerates drought
Legal basis
Sand or loam
neutral to chalky
Hardiness
down to -5 °C
protect in harsh winters
Size
0.6 m
tall, 0.3 m wide
Flowering
July–September
| Height | 0.6 m |
|---|---|
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Flowering | July–September |
Identify
Annual everlasting: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Upright, branching annual 50–70 cm tall and about 30 cm wide.
- Leaves
- Narrow, lance-shaped, silver-grey and slightly woolly.
- Flower
- Daisy-like flowers 2–4 cm across with papery bracts, from July to September.
- Colour
- Pink, purple and white; double forms exist too.
- Roots
- Taproot: it dislikes being moved, so sow in place or in separate pots.
Flowering: July–September · Sowing: March–May · Plants: May
In your garden
Why grow it?
- Papery flowers from July to September that stay beautiful for years when dried.
- The everlasting flower par excellence: pick, hang upside down and make bouquets.
- Loves sun and poor, dry soil where many other summer flowers fail.
- Bees visit the flowers.
- Silver-grey foliage gives a soft, airy look in the border.
Annual everlasting: where does it grow best?
- Full sun: the sunnier, the better the flowering.
- Well-drained, poor sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky.
- Dry: it tolerates drought very well, but not wet soil.
- Allow 20–25 cm between plants; in windy spots support with twigs or netting.
- Light
- Sun
- Soil type
- Sand or loam
- Acidity
- Neutral or chalky
- Moisture
- Dry
- Size
- 0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide
- Hardiness
- Tolerates light frost (to -5 °C)
Goes well with
- Strawflower: Another everlasting in the same dry, sunny soil.
- Baby’s breath: Clouds of small white flowers among the papery blooms.
- Lavender: Scented leaves and blue spikes in full sun.
- Globe thistle: Blue globes that dry well too.
- Feather grass: Soft plumes that move in the wind.
Maintenance
Annual everlasting: when and how to plant it?
Plant in May.
- Sow indoors in March in separate pots, or in April–May where it is to grow, once the soil no longer freezes.
- Sow shallowly (about 0.5 cm) in loose, well-drained soil; it germinates in 1–2 weeks at about 18 °C.
- Plant young plants out in May, 20–25 cm apart, in a sunny, dry spot.
- Keep the rootball intact when removing it from the pot, as the taproot dislikes disturbance.
- Water in at once; after that only in long dry spells.
- If you sow in place, sow in rows and thin the seedlings later to 20–25 cm.
Care
- Water
- Little: only in the first weeks and in extreme drought. Too much water gives floppy plants and rot.
- Feeding
- Not needed. On rich soil it grows floppy and falls over easily.
- Support
- In windy spots, a few twigs or netting keep the stems upright.
- Deadheading
- Remove faded flowers or pick them for bouquets: new buds keep forming.
- Harvesting for drying
- Pick the flowers just as they open, tie them in bunches and hang them upside down in an airy, shady place.
Tip: Sow in April–May where it is to grow, in a sunny, dry spot. Pick the flowers just as they open and hang them upside down: they stay beautiful for years.
Annual everlasting: when to prune it?
When: It is not pruned. Pick or cut the flowers during flowering.
How:
- Pick the flowers just as they open, with a long stem, for bouquets or for drying.
- Cut off faded flowers for longer flowering.
- After the first frost, pull up the whole plant.
Propagation
- Sowing indoors
- In March in separate pots with seed compost; sow shallowly, germination in 1–2 weeks at about 18 °C. Plant out after mid-May.
- Sowing in place
- In April–May in a sunny, dry spot, shallowly and in rows; thin to 20–25 cm.
Annual everlasting: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.
- An annual: after flowering or the first frost the plant dies.
- Young plants tolerate light frost down to about −5 °C, but it does not survive hard winters.
- Seed left on the ground in autumn may come up in spring; or collect seed and keep it dry.
Diseases and pests
- Rot: Too much water or a wet summer rots the stem base. Sow in dry, well-drained soil.
- Floppy growth: On rich soil or in partial shade it grows tall and floppy. Plant in full sun in poor soil.
- Slugs: Young seedlings are eaten. Use iron phosphate pellets or sow slightly thicker.
- Aphids: On young shoots. Rinse with water or let ladybirds do their work.
- Powdery mildew: White powder in a humid, close summer. Leave space between plants and cut off affected parts.
Through the year
- March: Sow indoors in separate pots.
- April: Sow in place once the soil no longer freezes.
- May: Plant young plants out. Sow in place.
- June: Weed. Thin seedlings.
- July: First flowers. Pick flowers for drying.
- August: Full flower. Keep picking.
- September: Last flowers. Collect seed.
- October: Clear the plants after the first frost.
Use
Good for wildlife
- Bees
- Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
You and this species
Did you know?
- The name Xeranthemum comes from Greek and means roughly ‘dry flower’.
- The ‘petals’ are really papery bracts; the true tiny flowers are in the centre.
- Picked in time and dried upside down, the flowers stay beautiful for years.