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 xerochrysum

Helichrysum xerochrysum delivers classic everlasting drama: long stalks and large heads with bright yellow bracts tipped in warm orange-brown – bold, sunny colour that reads beautifully in meadow plantings and as a cut-and-dry subject. (It’s also worth noting that overseas growers sometimes confuse “Helichrysum” strawflowers with the Australian Xerochrysum bracteatum, which was historically placed in Helichrysum.)

This is a perennial herb with a woody rootstock and rosette base, sending up erect stems that hold a lax corymbose panicle of big, showy heads. The inner bracts are golden-yellow overlaid reddish brown, giving that flame-tipped effect. Flowering is December and January.

Endemic to South Africa, in habitat it grows on moist grassy mountain and hill slopes from southern KwaZulu-Natal through the Transkei to parts of the Eastern Cape interior ranges and around Grahamstown/Makhanda. Treat it as a sun plant with drainage and seasonal moisture and enjoy the bracts for long-lasting décor – SANBI notes that Helichrysum “everlastings” are widely dried for arrangements and decorative uses.