Everlasting Flower – Helichrysum bracteatum

Common Name: Strawflower, Everlasting Flower, Yellow Paper Flower

Botanical Name: Helichrysum bracteatum, hel-i-CRY-sum brac-te-A-tum

Decorative Life: Two plus weeks as fresh, years as dried.

Flower Color: Brown, Orange, Pink, Red, Violet, White, Yellow

Availability: Fall, Summer

Flowers should be harvested almost fully open.

34-38F.

• From the Greek “helios” (the sun) and “chryson” (golden). The specific epithet bracteatum is in reference to the much reduced leaves (bracts) associated with the flowers.
• The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a “composite” of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one “petal” off at a time, saying “she/he loves me, loves me not”, they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.
• Two common names for Helichrysum are Everlasting and Immortelle in reference to the flowers lasting almost forever when dried.
• Most commonly used as dried flowers. Stems are often replaced by wire, as stems do not last nearly as long as the flowers. Or, leaves must be stripped from stems (to reduce rotting) if the stems are to remain.