Identify that Plant

Sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) is one of those weedy plants, growing throughout central and eastern North America, which we tend to notice only as it begins to bloom.

Its flowers may seem a bit strange since they don’t look like they “open up” as we might expect.  Instead the disk flowers for each flower head remain hidden within the white bracts.

Watch this video of one year in the life of Sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium) to see its woolly (or cottony) covering of the stem and leaves, to learn about its fragrant identifying characteristic and to see a close-up view of its tiny seeds.

Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) blooms prolifically during spring and early summer in moist places throughout central and eastern North America.

The basal leaves in spring . . .

, , ,  become more numerous . . .

. . .  and then grow larger, with prominent toothy margins, in the summer.

Watch this video of one year in the life of Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) to observe its two strikingly different types of leaves growing on the same plant, to see close views of its golden flowers, to discover how the leaf underside can vary in color from plant to plant, and to learn some cool botanical terms like “achene” and “pappus.”