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 micropoides (Helichrysum filagineum, Helichrysum namaquense)

Helichrysum micropoides is a brilliant South African indigenous “desert groundcover” everlasting for seed-growers: low, fast, and capable of forming a dense cover on sand dunes in the right conditions. It’s ideal for arid-themed displays, restoration-style sand beds, and collectors who enjoy the miniature end of the genus where the detail is subtle but abundant.

Usually an annual (sometimes with a slightly woody base), it makes slender prostrate to decumbent stems with small spathulate leaves. The heads are tiny and arranged in a distinctive leafy, racemose-looking inflorescence; the bracts are straw-coloured to reddish, and the yellow florets can be tipped red, giving a warm “sand-and-sunset” palette. Flowering is recorded July to November.

It grows in sand – dunes or hard-packed sand – across southern Namibia and the arid parts of South Africa’s Cape interior, from the Lüderitz region east/southeast to the Kalahari Gemsbok area, then south through Namaqualand and the western Karoo to Ceres. Internationally it suits Mediterranean and semi-arid climates: sow for cool-season growth, keep the soil very free-draining, and avoid rich compost that encourages soft, short-lived growth.