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 niveum (Gnaphalium niveum, Helichrysum ericifolium metalasioides, Helichrysum metalasioides) – Sand Everlasting; Sewejaartjie

A coastal classic with real garden value, Helichrysum niveum (Afrikaans: Sewejaartjie) is a silver, twiggy dwarf shrublet that thrives in sun, wind, and sand – exactly what you want for tough, waterwise borders and seaside plantings. It’s also a standout foliage plant: the fine, needle-like leaves and pale bracts give it a clean, luminous look year-round.

Plants form low, ericoid (heath-like) shrubs with woolly-felted branchlets and narrow leaves with strongly rolled margins. The small heads sit in clusters at the tips, carrying milk-white bracts that can sometimes blush pink, with few-flowered heads – delicate up close, but visually bright from a distance.

Endemic to South Africa, in nature it occurs along the south-western Cape coast from around Saldanha Bay and the Cape Peninsula through to the Still Bay area, typically on coastal dunes and sandy ground below about 180 m, often forming dense stands. Flowering is mainly December to February, making it a superb summer “white-and-silver” feature for Mediterranean-climate gardens worldwide.