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 rotundatum (Eriosphaera coriacea, Helichrysum coriaceum, Helichrysum fulvellum)

If you like plants with a sense of place, Helichrysum rotundatum is the definition of a local treasure: a cliff-dwelling everlasting with unusually rounded, hairy leaves and dense terminal flower clusters. It’s ideal for collectors who value endemism and for growers who enjoy recreating specific microhabitats in rock gardens or cool, moist crevices.

It’s a small subshrub with woolly young growth and almost round leaves that are softly bicoloured by their indumentum. The flower heads sit in congested clusters; bracts are straw-coloured and thickly silky-villous on the back, giving the heads a plush, tactile look rather than a slick shine. Flowering is mainly October to December.

Globally, this is a narrow South African endemic: it grows in moist places on south-facing cliffs and is recorded from the western end of the Riviersonderend Mountains above Genadendal (including Omklaarberg, Jona’s Kop and Wildepaardeberg). For cultivation, think “cool cliff seep”: bright light but not baking heat, consistent moisture with perfect drainage, and shelter from extreme summer drying winds. Uses are primarily ornamental and conservation-focused, with additional value for dried everlasting heads once mature.