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 marginatum

If you’re building an alpine-style collection, Helichrysum marginatum is the kind of plant that earns a place immediately: a mat-forming, rosette-rich dwarf shrub that looks like it belongs on a high mountain ledge. It’s superb for rock sheets, raised beds, troughs, and cool-climate gardens, and its crisp white bracts make it a natural “highlight plant” even when grown lean and hard.

This South African indigenous species forms thick, prostrate woody stems that produce many crowded rosettes, then sends up short flowering stems with large solitary heads. The bracts are snow-white with a distinctive crimson blotch near the base on the inside, giving a refined, collector-grade finish. Flowering is recorded December to February, ideal for midsummer mountain displays.

Naturally it forms mats (sometimes up to a metre across) on steep stony slopes and rock sheets in the high Lesotho mountains and high Drakensberg, from Oxbow/Mont aux Sources southwards, roughly 2,440–3,300 m. Internationally, it’s best treated as a true alpine: bright light, excellent airflow, sharply drained gritty soil, and cool nights – avoid heavy, wet winter conditions.