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 pumilum – Dwarf Everlasting

The Tasmanian dwarf everlasting, Helichrysum pumilum, is a rosette-forming perennial that stays low and tidy (around 10 cm), sending up a white-woolly scape topped by a daisy-like head framed with bracts that mimic ray florets. It’s a classic alpine/peatland aesthetic: compact, textured, and photogenic at close range.

Its native range is Tasmania, where it grows in temperate habitats, especially in the west and southwest, ranging from buttongrass plains into sub-alpine and alpine situations depending on form and site.

Flowering is summer, between December and February, with outer bracts mostly white (sometimes pink-streaked) and inner bracts white to pink; the tubular florets are described as pink to purple. It also has a documented ecological value – its seeds and flowers are noted as an important food source for the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot. For growers, it’s superb for cool-climate rock gardens, alpine troughs, and native Tasmanian restorations.