Strawflower

The Strawflower is a wonderful little daisy-like flower for the summer garden. The flowers attract butterflies and are often grown for cut or dried flower arrangements. Bracteantha bracteata, pictured below, is a herbaceous perennial of the Asteraceae family.

Plant Facts:

Common Name:   Strawflower

Botanical Name:   Bracteantha bracteata syn. Helichysum bracteatum

Family:  Asteraceae

Plant Type:  Herbaceous perennial

Origin: From the open grasslands and scrub of Australia

Zones: 10 - 11

Height:  24-36"

Rate of Growth: Moderate

Salt Tolerance: Moderate

Soil Requirements:  Moist, well drained, moderately fertile

Water Requirements: Drought tolerant once established

Nutritional Requirements: Balanced liquid fertilizer weekly for best growth and flower production

Light Requirements: Full sun

Form:  Herbaceous perennial, spreads to 12"

Leaves:  Broadly lance-shaped, gray-green to 5in long

Flowers: Papery, daisy-like, in shades of orange, red, and yellow. Excellent for fresh arrangements or drying. No scent when fresh, but after drying the smell is said to repel moths. Blooms spring to autumn.

Fruits:

Pests or diseases:  Downy mildew

Uses:  Summer bedding, borders

Bad Habits: 

Cost:  $ -- Very reasonable

Propagation:  Sow seed in spring, or obtain in nursery flats

Sources:  A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants