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 milleri

If you’re after something genuinely uncommon with a dramatic, unusual colour palette, Helichrysum milleri is a standout: a South African endemic shrub with large solitary heads and glossy light-brown bracts – a warm bronze-gold look that’s surprisingly distinctive within Helichrysum. It’s a strong choice for collectors who want a plant that looks “botanical” and rare rather than like a generic strawflower.

It grows as a shrub up to about 1 m, with brittle branches and leaves that are grey-woolly on sterile shoots, but can shed wool on flowering shoots to reveal a glandular, bristly surface. The heads are substantial (broadly globose across the radiating bracts), and the bracts are glossy and light brown, giving a refined autumnal tone. Flowering is recorded in October and November – notably spring-flowering for its group.

It appears tied to coarse herbage on forest patch margins and is recorded only from the Barberton Mountains (Havelock and Emlembe Mountain on the Eswatini–Mpumalanga border) and the Lydenburg area. Grow it like a montane edge species: sun to light shelter, well-drained soil with some seasonal moisture, and enough airflow to keep foliage healthy and flowering consistent.