Key Features
- Colorful mix of papery blooms in warm, cheerful shades for garden displays.
- Upright annual plants with strong stems and long-lasting flower heads.
- Excellent choice for borders, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, and flower beds.
- Flowers are well suited for fresh bouquets and dried floral arrangements.
- Distinctive straw-like petals retain their shape and color when dried.
Growing Benefits
- Adds vibrant color and texture to sunny garden spaces.
- Provides attractive flowers for bouquets and decorative arrangements.
- Suitable for gardeners seeking an easy-care annual flower.
- Encourages a productive display when blooms are regularly harvested or deadheaded.
- Dried flowers offer lasting decorative appeal for crafts and home décor.
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Strawflower, Everlasting Flower, Bracted Strawflower
- Botanical Name: Xerochrysum bracteatum (also historically listed as Helichrysum bracteatum)
- Plant Type: Annual flowering plant
- Colors: Mixed shades including yellow, orange, pink, red, white, and related tones
- Height: About three to three-and-a-half feet
- Sunlight: Full sun
- Soil: Average, fertile, well-drained soil
- Water: Moderate, consistent moisture while establishing; avoid waterlogged soil
- Germination Time: About seven to ten days under suitable conditions
- Sowing Depth: Surface sow; do not cover, as light aids germination
- Spacing: About ten to twelve inches apart
- Growing Zones: Grown as an annual; suitable across a wide range of climates when planted after frost
- Flowering/Maturity: Approximately seventy-five to eighty-five days from sowing, depending on conditions
- Uses: Borders, flower beds, cottage gardens, cut flowers, dried arrangements, and crafts
Growing Tips
- Press seeds gently onto moist soil instead of covering them deeply.
- Keep the seed-starting medium evenly moist until seedlings emerge.
- Provide plenty of sunlight to encourage sturdy, upright growth.
- Deadhead regularly to encourage continued flowering and maintain a tidy display.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in their original packet or an airtight container. Keep them in a cool, dry, dark location away from heat and moisture. Avoid storing seeds in humid areas.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Strawflower is often called the everlasting flower because its papery blooms retain their appearance after drying.
- The colorful flower heads have a distinctive papery texture that makes them especially popular for dried arrangements.
- Strawflowers can be harvested for both fresh bouquets and dried floral displays.
- Pinching young plants can encourage more uniform branching and productive growth.