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 palustre

A true wetland alpine, Helichrysum palustre forms tufts of silvery rosettes from a woody rhizome and produces slender flowering stems to about 150 mm. The heads are typically solitary, and the bracts are strikingly snow-white with a dull crimson patch near the inner base – a subtle, refined detail that rewards close viewing.

This is a South African indigenous plant of marshes and marshy streamsides, recorded from the high Lesotho mountains and the Drakensberg summit plateau (about 2,300–3,400 m) and described as rarely collected. For growers, that habitat note is the key: unlike many dryland everlastings, this species naturally associates with reliable moisture and cool, high-altitude conditions.

Flowering occurs in December and January, making it a summer treasure for bog gardens, seepage trays, or carefully managed alpine wet spots. Even here, the “everlasting” heritage still shows in the bracts’ dry, papery character – excellent for lasting beauty whether in the ground or carefully dried.