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 grandibracteatum

If you love dramatic, high-altitude “everlastings” with a clean, luminous look, Helichrysum grandibracteatum is a standout. In flower it can create striking pale sweeps in the veld – exactly the kind of species that collectors and mountain-garden growers look for when building a truly South African alpine-style display.

This is a South African indigenous perennial, grassland Helichrysum with clustered heads crowned by layers of snow-white papery bracts around yellow florets. The bracts radiate strongly, giving the plant a bright, crisp “white-on-gold” effect that holds well in the landscape. Flowering is typically spring into early summer (September to November) in its native range.

Naturally it occurs in stony montane grassland along the Drakensberg and adjacent high areas (recorded widely through the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg and into parts of the Eastern Cape), often around 1,800–2,600 m – a clue to its toughness and preference for open, well-drained conditions. It is listed as Least Concern nationally.