With their colourful, clustered basket flowers, straw flowers are very likeable garden plants - although in this country they are mainly known as an ingredient for dry arrangements. This article explains how you can have straw flowers beautify your home both fresh and dry.

Straw flowers are a beautiful ornament for the garden and vase

Table of Contents

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  1. origin
  2. growth
  3. leaves
  4. blossom
  5. heyday
  6. fruit
  7. Which location is suitable?
  8. hardy
  9. What soil does the plant need?
  10. Water straw flowers
  11. Fertilize straw flowers properly
  12. Cut straw flowers correctly
  13. Grow straw flowers
  14. Diseases
  15. pests
  16. Tip:
  17. sorts

    18. origin

    The helichrysum belongs to the daisy family and forms its own plant genus with the botanical name Helichrysum. This includes an impressive number of around 600 species, of which only a few are cultivated as garden flowers here in Central Europe. This includes above all the species Helichrysum bractaetum, the garden helichrysum. She is originally from Australia.

    Overall, the areas of origin of the species-rich helichrysum genus are much more extensive and spread over several continents. A large part of the species also comes from the Cape region of South Africa, a smaller proportion from the Mediterranean region and the Near West and Central Asia as well as from New Zealand.

    While the everlasting flowers in their wild form usually grow persistently in their home areas, they are usually cultivated as an annual in Germany. Because some species retain their flower color well when dried, they have become popular dried bouquet flowers - hence their name.

    Origin at a glance:

    • Everlasting flowers form their own genus of plants with around 600 species
    • Their areas of origin are in Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean region, the Near East to Central Asia and New Zealand
    • In this country only a few species are cultivated as annual garden plants
    • Known for its use in dried bouquets

    growth

    The helichrysum species that we use as garden plants usually grow as annuals, although many generic species are also perennials or even develop a semi-shrubby to shrubby habit. Most species reach a height between about 20 and 80 centimeters. They usually have an erect, sometimes prostrate stem with felty hairs and rich branching. Straw flowers hold on to the ground with a taproot, and they also form clumps.

    Growth characteristics in keywords:

    • Species cultivated in this country are mostly annuals, many other species are also perennials, sometimes with a shrub-like habit
    • Height usually between 20 and 80 centimeters
    • Erect to prostrate, tomentose, richly branched stem
    • taproot, clump-forming

    leaves

    The leaves of the helichrysum are fresh green and are attached alternately to the stem. In some species they are stalk-encompassing, in the garden helichrysum only short-stalked. In the latter species they have an elongated, lanceolate to linear shape, in others they are also ovate to wedge-shaped. The leaf margins are whole. Due to the felty, greyish hairs, the underside of the leaves of the helichrysum have a silky, soft texture and feel slightly sticky.

    Sheet properties in brief:

    • Alternate, sometimes clasping the stem, sometimes with a short stalk
    • lanceolate, linear to ovate or wedge-shaped contour
    • entire
    • Felty, sticky hairs on the underside

    blossom

    At the ends of the branches are the flowers, which have a typical cup-shaped appearance. In the garden forms they usually stand alone on the upright stems, in the wild forms they are often clustered together and umbrella-shaped. The flowers of most wild forms are yellow in color, but garden species have long had a much wider range of colors from whitish pink, bright orange to red, auburn and purple.

    Flowers at a glance:

    • Typical cup-shaped appearance
    • In the garden forms mostly solitary and terminally standing on the stems, in wild forms often in clusters, clustered in umbrella-like clusters
    • Color originally mostly yellow, with garden species also pink-white to orange, red, reddish brown and purple

    heyday

    The flowers of the helichrysum usually open in July and remain until September.

    fruit

    So-called achenes with a columnar shape form from the flowers. As with other composite plants, such as the dandelion, these inclosure fruits form a pappus - the seeds get feather-like hairs so that they can be carried by the wind for seeding.

    Which location is suitable?

    In its native area, the helichrysum usually grows in open locations on loamy-sandy to sandy soil. If you want to cultivate it in the garden, offer it a place that is as sunny and warm as possible. Their hunger for light and warmth also makes them ideally suited as balcony and terrace plants in tubs. If you want to cultivate them in the bed together with other plants, place them as far forward as possible so that they always get enough sun.

    Site conditions in brief:

    • As warm and sunny as possible
    • Well suited for balconies and terraces in tub culture
    • Plant far forward in the bed

    hardy

    Unlike many of its wild counterparts, the garden helichrysum is annual anyway. The question of winter hardiness does not arise with her.

    Some species that are also cultivated here are also perennial, but often sensitive to frost. These include, for example, the curry herb, also known as Italian helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), which is mostly used as a spice plant. The species, which originates from the Mediterranean region, tends not to survive very cold winters, so it should be placed in a cool interior room in winter.

    The South African helichrysum (Helichrysum splendidum) is perennial and relatively hardy, but it should still get some protection in severe frost.

    What soil does the plant need?

    The helichrysum needs a relatively nutrient-poor soil with a good proportion of humus. In addition, an effective drainage layer should be worked into the substrate, especially when kept in tubs. So add a good portion of sand or a small amount of expanded clay to the soil.

    To remember:

    • Soil should be rather low in nutrients, but humus
    • Good permeability through drainage with sand or expanded clay

    Water straw flowers

    In the outdoor culture you do not necessarily need to water immortelle separately, they tolerate drought much better than too much moisture. If you cultivate them in tubs, regular watering is necessary, but it should be moderate. Make sure to avoid waterlogging and empty any standing water in the coaster, which has accumulated, for example, through rain, as soon as possible.

    Fertilize straw flowers properly

    Due to its undemanding and little nutrient-hungry character, you can completely do without fertilizer with the helichrysum, even with the bucket culture.

    Cut straw flowers correctly

    The straw flower does not need any special cutting care either. Only the faded flowers should be cleaned out regularly to induce new flowering and to maintain a well-groomed appearance.

    Grow straw flowers

    Everlasting flowers are propagated by seeds. Since they produce plenty of it, you can collect them yourself in the fall and store them in a cool, dry place over the winter. From early spring in March you can sow them and grow them indoors. To do this, place them in planters with potting soil and only lightly cover them with it. Put them in a light but not too warm place. The germination temperature is around 18°C. After about 2 to 3 weeks, the seedlings should appear.

    From April you can prick out the young plants and place them in small individual pots. Before planting outdoors, you should wait until the end of May for the ice saints. At this time it is also possible to sow directly.

    Diseases

    In general, straw flowers are relatively robust and not very susceptible to diseases. Occasionally, however, they can be attacked by bottle powdery mildew. This fungus shows up as greyish to purple, blotchy coatings on the leaves, which then gradually die off. To prevent downy mildew, you should make sure that the straw flowers are generally warm and sunny and their leaves do not get permanently wet. Fresh cow's milk can also help as a prophylaxis. You can combat downy mildew by cutting away the diseased parts of the plant as quickly and thoroughly as possible. After that, only a fungicide really helps for sure.

    pests

    Unfortunately, the helichrysum is also plagued by pests such as aphids or leaf bugs. Check your specimens regularly for any infestation.

    aphids

    The lice are very small and greenish to brownish in color. When sucking on their host plant, they excrete sticky honeydew that easily gives them away. Ants feeding on the honeydew can also be a reliable indicator of an aphid infestation.
    The best way to combat aphids is to use neem oil-based preparations or make your own mixture of canola oil and potash soap. Basically useful and preventive is a high biodiversity in the garden with many beneficial insects.

    leaf bugs

    The broad, flat leaf bugs eat large holes in the leaves and shoots, preferably in the young, tender parts of the plant. They can also lead to crippling of the host plant through possible transfer of toxins. You can remove the sluggish animals mechanically, by shaking them off or spraying them with water. We then recommend a spray treatment with soft soapy water, which you can make yourself from water and potassium soap.

    Tip:

    To use the garden helichrysum for dried flower decorations, cut off the long stem when the flowers have opened on the outside but the heart is still closed. That's how they last the longest.

    sorts

    If you are looking for beautiful bouquets of dried flowers, you should stick to the helichrysum (Helichrysum bracteatum). There are some beautiful varieties of it, such as the 'Monstrosum'. It is available in many different colors, including romantic pastel shades. In height it reaches about 60 cm. The 'Nanum', on the other hand, is a little smaller at 35 to 50 centimetres, but also has very colorful flowers. In addition to the small 'Nanum', there is also a particularly large one among the garden helichrysum species, the 'giants': it can grow up to one meter high and also produces larger flowers in yellow, bright orange or whitish pink.

    The species Helichrysum italicum, commonly called curry herb, also offers a few different varieties that differ from each other mainly in terms of growth size. Here, too, there is, for example, a variety called 'Nanum', which is suitable for Mediterranean rock gardens thanks to its compact, approximately 30 cm low habit. Its aroma is intensely curry-like. It is also perennial and hardy to a small degree.

Category:

Herbs