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 asperum var. comosum (Helichrysum comosum, Helichrysum ericifolium lineare)

Coastal growers and dune-garden enthusiasts take note: H. asperum var. comosum is a tough, sand-loving everlasting with real landscape value. It’s ideal for stabilising and softening sunny, windy sites, and it creates a low, intricate thicket that looks wild, local, and beautifully textured year-round.

This is a hard, stiff, tangled shrublet with small linear leaves (often gland-dotted) and tiny cylindrical heads clustered at branch tips. The bracts are white to light golden-brown, often tinged red, with semi-translucent tips – subtle colours that pair well with coastal grasses and dune succulents.

Endemic to South Africa, it’s common on coastal sand dunes from about Plettenberg Bay to Port Elizabeth, then reappears on the KwaZulu-Natal coast northwards to near the Mozambique border, with some inland records on sandy soils up to about 900 m in KZN. Flowering runs September to March, giving it a long season that suits both South African coastal gardens and overseas maritime climates with mild winters and bright summers.