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Helichrysum
Also called Everlasting Flowers, Everlastings, Strawflowers, Cudweed, Everlasting, Immortelle, Paper Daisy
Helichrysum is a large genus of about 600 daisy-family species, from annuals to shrubs, prized for papery flowers that dry well. Commonly grown members include the strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) and Helichrysum italicum; give them full sun and free-draining soil.
The genus Helichrysum consists of an estimated 600 species of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The type species is Helichrysum orientale. They often go by the names everlasting, immortelle, and strawflower. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words ἥλιος (helios, sun) and χρῡσός (chrysos, gold).
It occurs in Africa (with 244 species in South Africa), Madagascar, Australasia and Eurasia. The plants may be annuals, herbaceous perennials or shrubs, growing to a height of 60–90 cm (24–35 inches). The genus was a wastebasket taxon, and many of its members have been reclassified in smaller genera, most notably the Everlastings, now in the genus Xerochrysum.
Several species are grown as ornamental plants, and for dried flowers. When cut young and dried, the open flowers and stalks preserve their colour and shape for long periods.
Strawflower · Curry Plant · Helichrysum milfordiae · Eastern Strawflower · Licorice-plant · Red Everlasting · Cape Gold · Yellow amaranth · Jersey cudweed
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Helichrysum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
