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 altigenum

A small, prostrate evergreen for serious fynbos and mountain-plant enthusiasts, this species offers that sought-after combination of silver foliage, tight habit, and a single, showy head held close to the plant. It’s perfect for collectors who curate Cape endemics with true wild provenance.

Plants arise from a creeping rootstock, producing rosettes and short prostrate-to-ascending stems wrapped in a silvery, “tissue-paper” indumentum. The heads are relatively large for the plant, with dull white bracts (often with very pale brown tipping), and the florets are yellow (sometimes pink-tipped). Flowering is mainly November to January, and it can be especially conspicuous after fire.

It grows on stony slopes and is endemic to the south-western and southern Cape, from the Koue Bokkeveld across major mountain systems (including the Swartberg and Kouga ranges) to the Great Winterhoek Mountains near Uitenhage, roughly 900–2,000 m, within the Fynbos biome. In cultivation, mimic fynbos fundamentals: lean, acidic-to-neutral, fast-draining soils and bright sun with good airflow.