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 tricostatum (Gnaphalium tricostatum) – West Coast Everlasting; Khoekhoenskooigoed, Weskus-Kooigoed

A real gem for coastal-sand and West Coast gardeners, Helichrysum tricostatum is a locally endemic everlasting that brings refined, straw-toned bracts and a tidy shrubby form – perfect for fynbos-style plantings, sandy borders, and collectors who prioritise true regional endemics. Its restrained, glossy bracts make it especially beautiful in close planting where texture matters as much as colour.

It grows as a shrub or subshrub up to about 1.5 m with slender branches and softly woolly leaves. Flowerheads are small and numerous in compact terminal clusters; the bracts are translucent, glossy and straw-coloured with rounded tips – an elegant, “polished parchment” look that holds well for dried use. Flowering is September to December, aligning perfectly with spring and early summer displays.

This species is endemic to the Sandveld of Namaqualand and the Western Cape, from Hondeklipbaai south to Buck Bay (north of Cape Town), spanning Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes. It’s also noted as being eaten by stock in the wild, hinting at palatability in veld settings – useful context for growers managing grazing or wildlife pressure.