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 grandiflorum (Gnaphalium grandiflorum) – Grand Everlasting, Peninsula Everlasting; Witsewejaartjie

Known locally as sewejaartjie / witsewejaartjie, Helichrysum grandiflorum is a beautiful, woolly, waterwise Cape Peninsula endemic with real collector appeal. It offers that classic Helichrysum combination of silvery foliage and long-lasting, papery “everlasting” heads – excellent for naturalistic fynbos gardens and for growers wanting authentic Cape flora in Mediterranean-type climates.

The plant forms a tufted subshrub with grey, softly woolly leaves and dense clusters of flowerheads described as pale yellow to dull creamy white, framed by white bracts (the papery “everlasting” show). It flowers in summer (December to February), making it a valuable seasonal highlight when many fynbos gardens are in full growth.

In the wild it is endemic to the mountains of the Cape Peninsula, typically on cool sandstone slopes. While many Helichrysum species are used medicinally in Africa, this species is especially prized horticulturally for its foliage and waterwise nature, and it can be grown from seed with good technique.