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 pedunculatum (Helichrysum pedunculare)

Helichrysum pedunculatum is a bold, fast-growing evergreen perennial with big, showy heads and famously bicoloured, aromatic leaves – ideal for gardeners who want a “statement” Helichrysum that still looks authentically wild. For South African growers it’s also a plant with strong ethnobotanical history; for international collectors it’s a distinctive, high-impact species that’s still approachable to grow.

The plant reaches about 50 cm, with broadly elliptic leaves that are glossy and hairless above and silky felted below. Many bell-shaped heads sit in a crowded, branched inflorescence; the flowers are white to cream and the involucral bracts show reddish-brown tones – an attractive, earthy palette that stands out from the “all-yellow” stereotype of the genus. Flowering is in summer (November–February).

It is indigenous to South Africa and southern Lesotho, recorded in South Africa from provinces including the Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape, across several biomes. Uses recorded include traditional wound dressing (notably as an antibacterial leaf dressing), treatments for infected sores and coughs/colds, and even use as a natural fabric dye and food flavouring.