Xeranthemum annuum Mix Seeds - Everlasting flower

The Annual Everlasting or Xeranthemum annuum 'Mix' offers a mix of double flowers that appear to be made of paper, in shades ranging from purple to white to mauve. This annual plant with rigid 'petals' is ideal for dried flower arrangements, it is easy to grow and self-seeds. It blooms all summer and until the first frost.

The Annual Everlasting or Xeranthemum annuum is an annual species of the asteraceae family. This plant is native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia, and has naturalised throughout Europe. It is a plant of dry and sunny lawns, slopes, and vineyards. The leaves are typically elongated, lance-shaped, silver-grey and fuzzy. The plant reaches a height of 30 to 40 cm. It has flowerheads, but they differ from daisies and centaureas by the absence of ray florets or petals, which are replaced by colourful and shiny bracts. This characteristic allows the inflorescences to hold up well once they are dry, as the bracts do not 'wilt', unlike petals. Flowering occurs from summer to early autumn, depending on the sowing date. It is nectar-rich and very attractive to butterflies. Depending on the plants, the 3 to 5 cm diameter heads range from white to mauve to purple.

Perfect in containers, rock gardens, and anywhere the soil is shallow, these everlastings are undemanding, highly heat-resistant, and tolerate occasional drought. They are well-suited for filling small spaces. In the garden, they are suitable for rock gardens, borders, or mixed with perennials and small shrubs. They work well in wildflower meadows, alongside cosmos, daisies, thistles, love-in-a-mist, poppies, and corn poppies.

The flowers of everlastings last a long time in dried bouquets. To preserve the flowers, the heads should be picked before they fully open. Hang the stems upside down in a well-ventilated, dark room. Once the stems are completely dry, the foliage can be removed.