Helichrysum
( hel - ick - KRYE - sum )
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At-A-Glance InformationThis is a genus commonly called Everlasting, Immortelle, and Strawflower, that includes flowering shrubs best in full sun with moderate water. They are mainly grown for their wooly, handsome foliage. Use these shrubs in xeriscape landscapes as groundcover or bank covers, as accents of mint-green color in mixed planting beds, or in container plantings.
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Helichrysum Species and Varietals
The genus Helichrysum includes around 600 species and is a member of the Sunflower family, Asteraceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words for sun (helios) and gold (chrysos). Helichrysum growing zones vary by species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Helichrysum italicum (Helichrysum angustifolium) (Curry Plant) This perennial grows best in zones 13-24, and is native to southern Europe. Gets 2 feet tall and wide, and a woody base with narrow almost white leaves. Leaves emit a curry-like fragrance when bruised or touched. These leaves can add a pleasant aroma to a salad or meat dish. Yellow flowers bloom in clusters in midsummer to fall. |
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Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice Plant)
This grows as a shrub in zones 16, 17, and 22-24 and as an annual elsewhere. Hails from South Africa. 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Leaves are white and wooly and the plant has insignificant flowers. In hot weather or when leaves are dry, the plant will emit a licorice scent. All varieties of this species are useful for their trailing branches, and are good for hanging baskets and mixed plantings. Shear off blooms when they begin to fade and do not allow to self-sow, as this species can be invasive. Commonly grown varieties are listed below:
This grows as a shrub in zones 16, 17, and 22-24 and as an annual elsewhere. Hails from South Africa. 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Leaves are white and wooly and the plant has insignificant flowers. In hot weather or when leaves are dry, the plant will emit a licorice scent. All varieties of this species are useful for their trailing branches, and are good for hanging baskets and mixed plantings. Shear off blooms when they begin to fade and do not allow to self-sow, as this species can be invasive. Commonly grown varieties are listed below:
'Limelight'
Chartreuse leaves. |
'Licorice Splash'
Variegated leaves with yellow and green. |
'Variegatum'
Leaves with white markings. |
Caring for and pruning Helichrysum shrubs
Grow these shrubs in full sun in well-draining, sandy or loamy soil that has a pH of between 6.0 and 6.4 (acidic). Plant in late springtime or early summer, and provide with somewhat regular water until established, at which point these plants are drought-tolerant and will get by on rainwater alone. Helichrysum shrubs need protection from wet and windy conditions, but do not require mulching. Prune in springtime, cutting the entire shrub down to its base wood (to about three inches from the ground).
Harvesting Helichrysum Shrubs
The leaves and young shoots of Helichrysum shrubs can be used in salads and to season meats, and are frequently used for this purpose in Mediterranean dishes. To harvest, simply pick them off of the plant. Young leaves are used over old ones; they are less bitter. These plants are also harvested to create essential oils (although a lot of plants are used to create just a tiny amount of this oil). Flowers can be harvested and pressed to extract the oil, which can be used on cuts, scrapes and scars, added to drinks or desserts to enhance flavor, or used during aromatherapy to lessen anxiety and stress. The flowers can also be used to make tea.
Harvesting Helichrysum Shrubs
The leaves and young shoots of Helichrysum shrubs can be used in salads and to season meats, and are frequently used for this purpose in Mediterranean dishes. To harvest, simply pick them off of the plant. Young leaves are used over old ones; they are less bitter. These plants are also harvested to create essential oils (although a lot of plants are used to create just a tiny amount of this oil). Flowers can be harvested and pressed to extract the oil, which can be used on cuts, scrapes and scars, added to drinks or desserts to enhance flavor, or used during aromatherapy to lessen anxiety and stress. The flowers can also be used to make tea.
Propagation
Helichrysum can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Helichrysum by Cutting
Propagating Helichrysum by Seed
Propagating Helichrysum by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 2-inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring or summertime, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Helichrysum by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds in fall, after flowers have faded and seed pods are dried and have started to open up.
- In February or March, water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-3 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed) or summertime, when you can transplant it to its new home.
After flowers have faded, they will turn into fluffy, seed-filled heads.
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Helichrysum seeds with their fuzzy attachments removed.
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Problems and Pests
Helichrysum shrubs can suffer from the following issues:
- Root Rot
- Stem Rot
- Downy Mildew
- Gray Mold
Gallery
Licorice Plant can be grown either in the ground or in containers.
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Use these small shrubs to cover swaths of your garden with mint-green foliage.
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The flowers and leaves of Helichrysum shrubs can be added to salads and meat dishes, or used to make potpurri or essential oil.
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Videos
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All about Licorice Plant.
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How to grow Curry Plant from cuttings.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 356, Helichrysum
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