Helichrysum-Everlasting Strawflower

Helichrysum bracteatum, better known as Strawflower is native to Australia, where it grows as wildflower. It is one of the so called everlasting flowers, a special group of annuals that can be air-dried without losing their color or form.
Strawflowers, with their beautiful colored blooms, are a lovely addition to any garden.
Helichrysum bears double daisy-shaped flowerheads which debut during late spring and last through early fall, can even survive light frosts.
The flowers come in a wide range of colors: white, yellow, pink, crimson, and bronze.
The papery petals of strawflowers are in fact modified leaves, called bracts, with a straw-like, crackly texture, which surround the central corolla.

Especially beautiful is the pompom-like flowerhead of the double flowered cultivars, used in dried floral arrangements and house-hold decorations.

The papery bracts dry beautifully without losing their color or shape, and they last for years.

Cut the flowers for drying when blooms are at least 3/4 open, before the yellow centers are visible.
Air dry them upside down in a warm dark area to preserve their color.

Low growing cultivars are perfect for edging and in patio containers, while the taller and bushier ones go nicely in mixed borders and in the cut flower garden.

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