Sandy Everlasting: Benefits, Uses and Precautions

Dr. Boris Wydoff

Sandy everlasting, also known as dwarf everlasting, is a perennial plant in the Aster family. Its flower heads have traditionally been used in herbal medicine. The plant is associated primarily with bile flow, liver function, and the biliary tract. Water infusions and decoctions are made from its flower heads.

What Is This Plant and How Can You Recognize It?

Sandy everlasting is also known as dwarf everlasting. Its Latin name is *Helichrysum arenarium*. The plant belongs to the Aster family, also known as the Compositae family. Its flower heads are used as medicinal plant material.

Sandy everlasting is widespread in the steppe regions of European Russia, the North Caucasus, Central Asia, and southern Siberia. In the western part of its range, it extends into forest-steppe and forest zones. There, it can be found on sandy soil in dry pine forests.

At the end of May, golden flower heads of sandy everlasting appear in dry steppes. Individual flowering plants can be seen until autumn. The entire plant is densely covered with fine hairs and has a whitish-gray color.

This covering of fine hairs helps the plant retain small amounts of water. As a result, it can withstand dry conditions in which other plants suffer from the heat. Small flowers are grouped into numerous flower heads. The bracts range in color from straw-yellow to orange. After cutting, the flower heads retain their original appearance for a long time.

That is why everlasting is used for more than just herbal medicine. Its dried flower heads are suitable for wreaths and winter bouquets. In the past, people placed them between double window frames. Bunches of everlasting were also stored in chests and closets because its scent was believed to repel moths.

Do not confuse sandy everlasting with annual everlasting, also known as immortelle or paper flower. These are different plants. Annual everlasting has a different Latin name: *Xeranthemum annum*.

How Can You Tell Sandy Everlasting Apart from Annual Everlasting?

Annual everlasting also belongs to the Aster family and grows in dry steppe habitats, so the two plants can be mistaken for one another. However, it is an annual plant about 10–50 cm tall, with upright, ridged, branching stems and narrow, linear leaves.

In annual everlasting, the flower heads grow singly at the tips of stems and branches and reach about 2.5 cm in diameter. The inner papery bracts are noticeably longer than the outer ones, spread outward in a radial pattern, and are bright pink or pinkish-purple. They create the impression of petals, although the plant has no ray florets.

Sandy everlasting, by contrast, has numerous flower heads arranged in dense clusters, with bracts in yellowish and orange shades. The entire plant has a characteristic whitish-gray color and is densely covered with fine hairs. Therefore, when harvesting, you cannot rely on the name “everlasting” alone: similar dried flowers differ in both appearance and botanical name.

Why Does Sandy Everlasting Grow in Dry, Sandy Places?

Sandy everlasting belongs to a group of plants adapted to sandy habitats, known as psammophytes.

Dense hairs are one of the features of plants adapted to hot, dry climates. These hairs help reduce water loss. Steppe plants have other adaptations to drought as well, including powerful root systems, a waxy coating on their leaves, divided leaf blades, or smaller leaves. In sandy everlasting, the most noticeable feature is the whitish-gray color of its densely hairy aboveground parts.

In the dry steppe, the bright flower heads help attract insects. Livestock generally do not eat everlasting, so the plant can remain virtually untouched in pastures.

How Was Everlasting Used in Everyday Life?

The ability of its flower heads to retain their appearance for a long time has been known for centuries. These plants were used for decorative purposes as far back as ancient Rome, when people made wreaths and bouquets from everlasting.

In Russian tradition, dried flowers were associated with memories of summer. People placed them between double window frames, while the name “frost grass” was explained by the fact that the plant retained the appearance of fresh golden flowers in winter.

Sandy everlasting was also known in folk household practices as a remedy against moths: bunches were placed in chests and closets. The plant's decorative and household uses existed alongside its use in folk medicine.

Sandy Everlasting: Benefits and Medicinal Properties

The main use of sandy everlasting is associated with bile flow. Galenic preparations made from the plant increase bile production and secretion, affect its composition, and increase the tone of the gallbladder. An antispasmodic effect has also been described. This effect relates to the smooth muscles of the intestines, biliary tract, gallbladder, and blood vessels. In addition, everlasting preparations stimulate gastric juice secretion and the secretory function of the pancreas. An increase in urine output has also been reported.

Antibacterial activity has been observed in the flowers during experiments. These findings are based on experimental observations.

What Uses of Sandy Everlasting Are Described in Herbal Medicine?

Herbal reference books describe water decoctions of the flower heads for liver conditions. Water infusions have also been used for diseases of the liver and gallbladder. Older recipes include everlasting as a remedy for jaundice. Both preparations made from a single plant and multi-herb mixtures have been described. Everlasting preparations increase bile secretion and promote bile flow. They have also been described as affecting bile viscosity, specific gravity, and the levels of certain components.

Reference literature describes the flushing out of sand and small stones in chronic calculous cholecystitis. If you have gallstones, you should not use choleretic infusions or decoctions on your own. Impaired bile flow requires medical evaluation.

What Properties Are Associated with the Plant's Composition?

Reference books primarily associate everlasting's effects with flavonoid compounds. These are described as contributing to the antispasmodic action of plant preparations, including their effects on the smooth muscles of the intestines, biliary tract, and gallbladder.

The effects on bile are also described in greater detail: preparations may increase the levels of cholates and bilirubin, improve the ratio of cholates to cholesterol, reduce the concentration of certain bile acids, and lower bile viscosity and specific gravity. These pharmacological observations relate to everlasting preparations and do not mean that a homemade infusion will produce the same predictable effects.

What Does the Plant's Flowering Material Contain?

The flower heads contain flavonoid glycosides, including salipurposide, kaempferol, and isosalipurposide. Other flavonoids listed include naringenin and apigenin. The plant also contains essential oil, phthalides, high-molecular-weight alcohols, steroid compounds, inositol, tannins, fatty acids, mineral salts, and trace elements. Ascorbic acid and vitamin K have been found in the flower heads. There are also several unidentified phenolic coloring substances. Some of everlasting's pharmacological properties are associated with flavonoid compounds. In particular, these compounds are considered in connection with the antispasmodic effects of plant preparations.

What Else Is Known About the Effects of Everlasting Preparations?

In addition to their effects on bile secretion, reference books note that everlasting preparations stimulate gastric juice secretion and the secretory function of the pancreas. An increase in urine output has also been described. Experimental studies have found antibacterial activity in the flowers. However, these results cannot be directly applied to the treatment of infectious diseases in humans.

Medical reference books describe everlasting as a choleretic plant that has been used for acute and chronic diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tract. In folk medicine, its range of uses was much broader: people used it for colds and bronchitis, certain skin conditions, and problems involving the stomach and pancreas. These traditional uses are not equivalent to proven medical indications.

How to Brew Sandy Everlasting Properly and How to Take It

Water infusions and decoctions of the flower heads are described for home preparation. One option is an infusion made with 10–15 g of plant material per 200 ml of water.

This infusion was taken 30 minutes before meals according to a schedule that changed over six days. On the first day, one-third of a cup at a time. On the second day, one-third of a cup 3 times.

On the third day, half a cup 3 times. On the fourth day, about three-quarters of a cup once. On the fifth day, half a cup 2 times. On the sixth day, half a cup once.

According to this description, the course could be repeated after 7 days if necessary.

If you have gallstones or impaired bile duct patency, you must not follow this schedule on your own. Sandy everlasting affects bile secretion, so a doctor should decide whether it is appropriate for these conditions.

Another preparation method is also described. A decoction was made using 10 g of flower heads per 200 ml of water. It was taken in doses of 1 tablespoon 3–4 times a day, 10–15 minutes before meals.

Another reference method uses 6–10 g of flower heads per 200 ml of water. This decoction was taken in doses of 1 tablespoon 3–4 times a day, 10–15 minutes before meals.

A different method specifies 10 g of flower heads per 250 ml of water. These preparation methods differ in the amount of plant material, the volume of water, and the dosage schedule. You should therefore not substitute one recipe for another.

Folk herbal books also contain multi-herb mixtures that include everlasting. In these mixtures, the plant is combined with other herbs. If you have a chronic condition or take medication regularly, it is best to discuss the ingredients of such mixtures with a specialist.

What Everlasting Herbal Mixtures Are Described in Reference Books?

Older sources often mention sandy everlasting not on its own, but as part of multi-herb mixtures. For example, a mixture of St. John's wort, knotweed, wild chicory, everlasting, buckthorn bark, chamomile, and calendula was described for liver conditions. Another version included everlasting, field horsetail, juniper, and St. John's wort.

A mixture of chicory root, everlasting flowers, and dandelion root was described for its choleretic effect. The infusion made from this mixture was taken on an empty stomach. Other recipes combined everlasting with upright cinquefoil, caraway fruits, blueberries, and sage leaves.

Some mixtures also combined everlasting with mint, dill, hawthorn, or chamomile. Certain recipes were intended to affect both bile secretion and intestinal function. These recipes belong to reference-based and traditional herbal medicine. They should not be considered interchangeable: a multi-herb formula changes the properties and contraindications of the resulting infusion.

How to Harvest and Store the Flower Heads

The flower heads of sandy everlasting are used as medicinal plant material. For plants in the Aster family, it is generally recommended to harvest the flower heads before they have fully opened. The flower heads are collected during the flowering period. They are picked by hand or cut directly from the plant with scissors. After harvesting, the material is dried in a well-ventilated room. The flower heads are spread in a thin layer on clean paper or another clean surface.

With everlasting, it is important to avoid excessive heat. Reference books specifically note that the flowers should not be dried in attics beneath iron roofs when temperatures are high. Under these conditions, the flower heads may continue to open and shed their parts.

After drying, the flower heads retain their characteristic appearance for a long time. This quality made sandy everlasting a well-known dried flower.

What Should You Keep in Mind When Harvesting?

For medicinal use, choose the flower heads of sandy everlasting itself, not those of a similar-looking dried flower. Pay particular attention to the color and structure of the flower heads: sandy everlasting has straw-yellow or orange bracts, while the inner bracts of annual everlasting are pink or pinkish-purple.

The flower heads should be collected before they fully open. This follows the general rule for harvesting the flower heads of plants in the Aster family. After cutting, the material should be spread in a thin layer so that air can circulate around it.

High heat during drying is undesirable. At high temperatures, the flower heads may continue to open, after which individual parts may fall off. For this reason, an open sunny spot or a very hot attic is not suitable for drying the plant.

How to Find Sandy Everlasting Abroad

Sandy everlasting may be known by different names in other countries. To avoid confusing it with another species of everlasting, check the Latin name on the packaging.

• USA: sandy everlasting, dwarf everlasting, immortelle, helichrysum.
• Germany: Sand-Strohblume, Sandstrohblume, gelbe Katzenpfötchen; the flowers may also be called Ruhrkrautblüten or Katzenpfötchenblüten.
• France: immortelle des sables or hélichryse des sables.
• Latin: *Helichrysum arenarium*.

The part of the plant used is the dried flower heads or flowering tops (*Helichrysi flos*). The roots and fruits are not used for this plant. In the USA, you can find loose dried flower tea, tinctures, and liquid extracts. In Germany, whole or cut flowers for tea and drops containing flower extract are sold, including alcohol-free glycerin extracts. In France, loose dried flowers for tisane are more common, sometimes labeled sommités fleuries.

You can look:

• in specialty herb and tea shops;
• in specialized online stores;
• in Germany, also in pharmacies and online pharmacies;
• in France, in herboristeries.

Check the packaging for *Helichrysum arenarium* and a reference to the flowers: flowers/flower heads, Blüten, or fleurs. For an extract, the label should state that the flowers are the starting material. Also check the product category: medicinal tea, Kräutertee/tisane, or supplement. If you want an organic product, look for an actual certification rather than relying only on the words “wild-harvested.”

Sales regulations differ between countries: in the USA, dietary supplements do not undergo prior FDA approval for safety or effectiveness, and a product sold in a German pharmacy is not necessarily a medicine.

Sandy Everlasting: Contraindications and Precautions

If you are allergic to everlasting or other plants in the Aster family, you should not take it. Current information calls for caution when bile flow is impaired. Oral use is not recommended in cases of bile duct obstruction, cholangitis, gallstones, and certain liver diseases. This is because the plant affects bile secretion. If you have gallstones, a doctor should decide whether everlasting is appropriate.

An older reference book describes everlasting preparations as having low toxicity. However, it also notes that the plant has cumulative effects and that use for more than three months may lead to congestion in the liver.

The same source does not recommend these preparations for people with hypertension or high gastric acidity. Reliable information about drug interactions is limited. If you take medication regularly, discuss combining it with an everlasting infusion or decoction with your doctor or pharmacist beforehand. Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended because safety data are insufficient. There is also insufficient information about the plant's effects on fertility.

Use in children under 18 is not recommended because there are insufficient safety data. Essential oil requires particular caution. The safety of taking the oil by mouth has not been established, so you should not use it this way. If you experience an adverse reaction, stop taking it and consult a healthcare professional. There is insufficient information about overdose.

External Use of the Oil

Some sources separately describe cosmetic uses of sandy everlasting oil. It has been used for dry skin, flaking, minor inflammation, and the care of small scratches and abrasions.

For these purposes, the oil has been applied externally: added to baths, used in aroma lamps and pendants, made into compresses, and used during massage. This is different from taking water-based everlasting preparations by mouth.

Information about external use of the oil does not mean that it is safe to take internally. The safety of this method has not been established, so you should not take essential oil orally on your own.

When You Need a Doctor

If you develop abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin or eyes, a high fever, repeated vomiting, or other pronounced symptoms, you need medical attention. If you have liver or biliary tract disease, using choleretic remedies on your own is not advisable. If you have gallstones, a specialist should decide whether a herbal preparation is appropriate. Pregnancy and breastfeeding require consultation with a doctor. Sandy everlasting is not recommended for children under 18.

If you take medication regularly, discuss combining it with an infusion or decoction with your doctor or pharmacist before use. If you are prone to allergies, watch for any reaction after taking it. If signs of an allergic reaction appear, stop using the plant and seek medical help.

Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →

Read next

All medicinal herbs by topic →

All articles by Dr. Boris Wydoff’s method →