#helichrysum

a commissioned piece

#HELLO SUNSHINE☀️🌞☀️

Everlasting, Immortelle, Strawflower

Image from Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

History and Etymology: The name of the genus Helichrysum comes from the Greek words "helios," meaning "sun," and "chrysos", meaning "gold". They are native to Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia, with over 200 species total.

Flower Symbolism: Everlastings (unsurprisingly) most often symbolize never ending love, and remembrance.

Fun Facts:

Helichrysum italicum, or Italian strawflower, is often used for essential oils and cooking due to its strong aroma and color! This species only grows around the Mediterranean, hence the name.

This genus is in the Asteraceae family, shared by flowers like sunflowers, daisies, and dandelions!

In 1990, many species under this genus were classified under a new genus. Xerochrysum. I cannot tell the difference between them!

Sources below!

Source: kotikettuvaaralla

Surprisingly, this is an Everlasting Daisy well on the way to be a cushion plant, by the look of it. But quite a few species go that route in harsh alpine areas. The dense fuzz is another adaptation to those sort of conditions. The last name in its former synonym Helichrysum selago var. tomentosum refers to the fuzz - selago apparently refers to its resemblance to the Lycopod fir clubmoss Huperzia selago.

Endemic to southern Canterbury mountains. Grown as an ornamental in alpine and subalpine areas, where it requires full sun and very good drainage.

my brother took this photo of me doing macrophotography and I had forgotten how goofy a backwards lens looks, and how much smaller these beetles really are.

Some kind of chrysomelinid beetles in some Everlasting flowers, Helichrysum. I should really learn the name of these beetles they are everywhere.