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 mariepscopicum

Helichrysum mariepscopicum is a locality-rich evergreen treasure – named for Mariepskop – and perfect for collectors who love a plant with a precise origin story. Its bold, clean bract colour reads beautifully in a naturalistic mountain bed, and the papery heads can be enjoyed for a long time as they mature.

This is a tufted South African endemic perennial herb or shrublet (about 150–300 mm), with closely leafy stems. It carries large solitary heads with glossy white bracts that are characteristically tipped brown (sometimes with a rosy cast) – a striking, high-contrast “white-and-marroon” look. Flowering is recorded September to April, peaking October to January.

In nature it grows in damp mountain grassland, often among rock outcrops, and is recorded from a small area of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg (Mariepskop to Mount Anderson and Elandshoogte near Machadodorp). For growers, that translates to: sun to light shelter, reliable summer moisture without waterlogging, and lean, rocky soil that drains fast.