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 nudifolium var. nudifolium (Helichrysum quinquenerve, Helichrysum nudifolium quinquenerve, Helichrysum nudifolium obovatum, Helichrysum nudifolium leiopodium) – Hottentot’s Tea; Hottentotsteebossie

This is the classic form behind the well-known common name Hottentot’s tea – a vigorous, aromatic perennial that brings big-leaf texture and tall flowering stalks to indigenous herb and meadow plantings. It’s a rewarding seed-grown species for gardeners who want a bold Helichrysum that looks substantial even when not in bloom.

Indigenous to South Africa, plants form a large basal rosette of leaves that are rough and shiny above and white woolly beneath, with a noticeable fragrance when dry. The flower heads are carried in a crowded, flattish cluster at the top of a long stalk (often reaching well above the foliage), with pale yellow “everlasting” heads that suit both naturalistic gardens and drying.

Flowering is recorded across the warmer months (summer into autumn), and this variety is widely grown and recognised under its common name – making it popular with both South African traditional plant gardeners and international collectors seeking robust African “everlastings.”