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 qathlambanum

If you want a high-altitude evergreen with presence, Helichrysum qathlambanum brings scale: an erect perennial herb to around 750 mm with surprisingly large, soft-textured leaves on petioles, and dense, compact clusters of small heads. It can be overlooked in the wild because it resembles common relatives, but the combination of big leaves and brownish bracts is distinctive once you know it.

Indigenous to South Africa, this is a localized Drakensberg–Lesotho plant, recorded only from Butha Buthe district in Lesotho and from the Mpendhle and Underberg districts of KwaZulu-Natal, typically on moist rocky grassy or scrubby slopes between about 1,800 and 3,000 m.

Flowering occurs from November to February, with subpellucid bracts described as straw-coloured to pale golden-brown. In cultivation it suits cool-summer climates, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils, and mountain-garden settings – ideal for collectors and restoration growers aiming to represent real Afro-montane grassland flora in seed-grown form.