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 cymosum subsp. calvum (Helichrysum infaustum discolor) – Impepho; Yellow-tipped Straw-flower

Helichrysum cymosum subsp. calvum brings the famous “gold carpet / impepho” look into a tougher, high-altitude grassland form. It ranges along the Drakensberg and adjacent highlands (Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho into parts of Mpumalanga and the Free State), forming low spreading clumps in stony grassland and steep turf slopes – an outstanding choice for growers who love mountain ecotypes.

This South African indigenous species forms a well-branched, spreading subshrub with variable leaves: silvery-grey above with a distinctive “skin-like” indumentum that can strip when rubbed, and closely white-woolly beneath. The compact heads carry glossy, translucent, bright canary-yellow bracts, and flowering is in mid- to late summer, from December to March.

Beyond ornament, the broader Helichrysum cymosum complex is well known for aromatic foliage and traditional uses (commonly under the name impepho), with records for subsp. cymosum including smoke inhalation and herbal tea uses. Subsp. calvum is especially interesting for collectors who want that cultural association paired with a true grassland/Drakensberg distribution and a naturally compact, resilient habit for rock gardens and alpine-style plantings.