There’s a reason Helichrysum has earned names like “everlasting,” “strawflower,” and “golden immortelle.” Across Africa, Eurasia, Madagascar, and even parts of Australia, this remarkable genus has adapted into an astonishing range of forms – from compact alpine cushions on windswept peaks to sprawling coastal pioneers on dunes, and tall, aromatic shrubs rising through savanna grassland. Many species seem almost sculpted for harshness: felted leaves that reflect heat, resinous scent glands that reduce water loss, and papery bracts that hold their colour long after flowering.

In southern Africa especially, Helichrysum becomes a signature of wild landscapes. Some species carpet high Drakensberg slopes like silver mats; others form tidy, upright tufts in montane grassland; and some are so specialised that they cling to cliff faces or root into shallow pockets of stony soil. The flowers, often arranged in tight button-clusters or open daisy-like heads, glow in tones of yellow, cream, white, pink, copper, red, and rose – and in many species the “petals” are actually brilliantly coloured bracts that preserve their beauty even when dried.

Beyond their ornamental appeal, Helichrysum carries deep cultural importance. Many species are traditionally used for fragrance, medicinal preparations, ceremonial burning, and as protective plants. For modern growers, they offer the irresistible combination of wild provenance, drought resilience, and striking textures – a true collector’s genus, equally suited to naturalistic gardens, rockeries, alpine troughs and habitat restoration planting.

Helichrysum adenocarpum subsp. adenocarpum – Fairy Everlasting, Pink Everlasting; Pienk Sewejaartjie, Rooisewejaartjie

If you want drama, this is it. Helichrysum adenocarpum subsp. adenocarpum is described as a notably showy plant, producing large, glossy bracted heads that look striking fresh and remain beautiful when dried. Seed-grown plants can vary – part of the appeal for collectors – yet they retain that unmistakable “everlasting” presence.

The broad, many-flowered heads are wrapped in numerous bract series that can be pure white or white tipped and washed with rose, crimson, or scarlet; the florets are yellow and may be red-tipped. In its native range it flowers mainly from late summer into autumn (January–April).

It’s widespread through southern Africa in open grassland, from moist slopes and depressions at low elevations right up into alpine grassland approaching 3,000 m, and it also occurs in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique. This versatility makes it a strong candidate for both South African gardeners and international growers: give bright light, good drainage, and moderate moisture during active growth for impressive flowering stems.