Bloomipedia
Sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium)
Photo: Mark Apgar via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Sweet everlasting

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium

Native to Rhode Island

Sweet everlasting is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

35states
188RI sightings*
10,923U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Rhode Island

Quick look

Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, synonyms including Gnaphalium obtusifolium and Pseudognaphalium saxicola, is a member of the family Asteraceae. It is found on open dry sandy habitat throughout eastern North America. Common names include old field balsam, rabbit tobacco, sweet everlasting and life everlasting. When crushed, the plant exudes a characteristic maple-syrup scent.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 35 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Rhode Island. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 188 research-grade sightings of it in Rhode Island, ranking #85 among the 110 flowers on our Rhode Island list. iNaturalist

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (963 records)

There are only a handful of Rhode Island flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records sweet everlasting in 35 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Rhode Island counties with USDA records: Bristol, Newport, Providence, Washington.

More Rhode Island flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in RI: June–October
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms in RI: September–October
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in RI: June–October

Sources