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 woodii

For serious collectors, Helichrysum woodii is a true prize: a small, well-branched shrub cloaked in pale wool, topped with neat clusters of straw-yellow bracts. Its combination of compact habit, winter flowering, and very restricted range makes it especially desirable for specialist South African and international growers.

The plant is densely leafy and woolly, with compact rounded clusters of small heads. Bracts are dull, opaque, pale straw-yellow, and it flowers in mid-winter (July) – a rare and valuable trait for extending the flowering calendar.

It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal and recorded from a very small area on Table Mountain Sandstone cliffs (600 – 900 m) in the Pinetown, Camperdown and New Hanover districts, and it’s noted as rarely collected. Grow it with exceptional drainage, bright light, and respect for its conservation importance; and if you use everlastings decoratively, the genus is well known for bracts that dry for arrangements.