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 lancifolium (Xeranthemum lancifolium)

For anyone who loves dramatic, solitary everlasting heads held above silky foliage, Helichrysum lancifolium is a must-grow Cape mountain species. The bracts are showy and persistent – excellent for display in the garden and for drying – while the plant’s natural “peduncle-like” flowering stems give it a wonderfully architectural look.

This is a straggling subshrub with imbricate, silvery, silky leaves. The heads are large and solitary, with inner bracts that are white but often overlaid pale to deep rose/crimson, while the outer bracts are golden-brown – a gorgeous two-tone effect around yellow florets that feels both wild and ornate.

Endemic to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa, it occurs on the mountains flanking the Little Karoo, spanning ranges from the Witteberg/Swartberg to the Baviaanskloof, Kouga, Outeniqua and Langekloof Mountains, typically above about 700 m, among shrubs and restios in the Fynbos Biome. Flowering is recorded September to January, delivering a long spring-to-summer show in cultivation.