Helichrysum Flowers

Description

• Strawflower is an Australian native plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide with 2- to 5-inch-long green, leathery leaves. The papery, 2 1/2-inch-wide, pompom-like flowers come in a variety of bright colors, including orange, red, pink, white and yellow. The flowers get their common name from the fact that they possess a straw-like texture when dried.

Growing Requirements

• Strawflowers require a warm, full-sun location. They grow well in garden beds and containers, providing the soil is well draining. Plant container-grown strawflowers in a soil mix that has 1 part peat moss to 2 parts loam and sand. Water strawflowers when the top 2 inches of soil dries. Feed the plants during the growing season with a 1/2-strength solution of a well-balanced fertilizer.

Harvesting and Drying

• Harvest newly opened or budded strawflowers for drying in the late morning when the dew has dried -- and before the heat of the day causes the flower colors to fade. Cut the strawflower stems at the base of the plant and remove foliage. Secure bunches of four to five flowers with rubber bands and hang them upside down in a warm, dry area that provides good air-circulation, such as an attic. Avoid damp or bright areas. Strawflowers air-dry in two to three weeks.

Diseases

• Strawflower is susceptible to fungal diseases such as downy mildew and Verticillium wilt. Downy mildew causes yellowing foliage with fuzzy, white spores appearing on the underside of leaves, which curl downward and fall off. This condition is common in wet, cool weather. Control downy mildew with a fungicide labeled for flowers. Verticillium wilt is a soilborne fungal disease that leads to yellowing of lower foliage and leaf-vein discoloration. This infection usually occurs when a cool spring is followed by a hot summer. Avoid planting strawflowers in areas where wilt has been a problem in the past. Aster yellows is a virus that causes plant stunting and yellowing and green flowers. Control leafhoppers, which spread this condition.

Propagating

• Collect strawflower seeds in the fall when the flowers have died back and browned. Plant the seed the following spring indoors or outdoors directly in the garden, when the temperatures have reached 65 to 75 degrees F. Expect seeds to germinate in one to two weeks.