Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium aka Catfoot

Sweet everlasting and rabbit tobacco are names for Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium. It belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae. It grows fast and lives for one or two years. Its native range spans eastern Canada. It also spans the central and eastern United States. It grows in woodland gaps, pine woods, and dunes. It also grows on roadsides, disturbed ground, and dry clearings.

Flowering stems reach about 1–2 feet [0.3–0.6 metres] tall. The roots are fibrous, and the plant spreads by seed. Soft, pale hairs give its stems a near-white look. Leaves form a rosette, or ring, at the base. More leaves grow in turns along the stems. Each simple leaf is narrow, with a clear central vein. The edges are smooth or a little wavy. The green tops have few hairs. Thick, silvery wool coats the undersides. Crushed leaves give off a scent like maple syrup.

Flowers bloom from August to November in branched groups. These form a panicle, a loose, branched flower cluster. It holds smaller clusters called corymbs. Yellow or brown buds open into small, white, tube-shaped heads. The flowers have a scent and draw bees, wasps, and flies. Brown fruits form from September to December. Each small fruit, called an achene, has white hairs in a tuft. Wind carries these fruits away from the parent plant.

Grow sweet everlasting in sun and sandy soil that drains well. It can also grow in part shade. Plants For A Future calls for dry ground. NC State lists moist and sometimes dry soil as suitable. NC State places it in USDA zones 3–10. It needs little care and suits meadows and naturalized plantings. It also fits native gardens and gardens for butterflies and pollinators. American lady butterfly larvae feed on the plant. Deer and wild turkeys browse its leaves. It can become weedy as it seeds itself. The sources differ on this risk.

People have used it to treat colds, fever, and sore throats. These past uses do not prove that treatment is safe. Other uses include repelling insects and stuffing bedding. Dried, scented flowers have also served as pillow filling. Plants For A Future lists no known edible uses. It reports no known hazards, but this does not prove safety. The supplied sources name no specific pests or diseases.