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 albo-brunneum (Helichrysum albobrunneum, Helichrysum setigerum, Helichrysum setigerum minor)

An unforgettable Drakensberg-and-beyond everlasting, Helichrysum albo-brunneum combines silvery rosettes with showy, radiating heads whose white bracts are neatly tipped in brown – an elegant, high-contrast look that dries beautifully. It’s a rewarding seed-grown perennial for collectors who want strong form and clear floral detail.

The plant carries several leaf rosettes on a slender woody rhizome, sending up stems with solitary or clustered heads. The outer bracts are glossy white with dark or light brown tips, becoming purer white inward, while the florets are yellow and can be subtly purplish-tipped. Flowering is mainly in midsummer (December–February).

Naturally it grows in colonies in short turf on stony or rocky slopes and moist areas, ranging from the low Drakensberg of KwaZulu-Natal through Lesotho and the Drakensberg into the Eastern Cape, and westwards toward the Koudeveldberge near Graaff-Reinet and Murraysburg. In the garden it suits sunny grassland-style plantings and rock slopes with reliable drainage; internationally it performs well in bright, cool-temperate conditions with a dry winter rest.