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 swynnertonii

If you’re drawn to high-mountain plants with a compact, jewel-like presentation, Helichrysum swynnertonii is a standout: a mat-forming everlasting that looks built for wind, stone and sun. It’s ideal for rock gardens, troughs and alpine-style pots, and it’s a collector’s delight thanks to its distinctive single-headed flowering stems.

This perennial herb/subshrub forms spreading clumps or mats with felted, grey, velvety leaves. Each flowering stem typically carries a single, large head with glossy bracts that read as white with a faint yellowish or brownish cast, surrounding yellow florets. Flowering is mainly October to December.

Indigenous to South Africa, its range is intriguingly disjunct and montane: recorded from Mt Kilimanjaro, the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, the eastern highlands of Mpumalanga (including Mariepskop/Mt Anderson area), parts of the southern Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, and localities in the Eastern Cape. In cultivation, aim to mimic its stony slope origins with sharp drainage and bright light.