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 sutherlandii (Helichrysum sutherlandii semiglabrum, Helichrysum pulvinatum) – Mollepelle Everlasting

A favourite for water-wise design and dramatic cliffside texture, Helichrysum sutherlandii is a compact shrublet with beautiful grey foliage and neat, long-lasting heads – excellent for South African gardens and for international growers wanting a true Drakensberg everlasting. It’s widely appreciated as an ornamental, and it also supports insect life in the garden.

Indigenous to South Africa, it forms clumps to about 400 mm tall, with bicoloured leaves (grey above, white-felted below) and branched, almost flat-topped inflorescences. The flowerheads have pale brown outer bracts and milky-white inner bracts, while the florets are yellow. Flowering runs from late summer through early winter, typically February to July (often peaking in autumn).

In habitat it’s common in the Drakensberg, frequently on rocky outcrops and cliff faces, often above streams; it occurs in South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga) and also in Lesotho. Its tough, woolly foliage is part of what makes it such a resilient, water-wise plant for sunny, well-drained positions.