Life Everlasting Flower: The Story Behind Its Timeless Name

Few plants carry a name as hopeful as life everlasting. The golden flower heads of Helichrysum arenarium are called everlasting because, once dried, they keep their colour and form far longer than most flowers do.

Meet the sandy everlasting

Helichrysum arenarium is a perennial of the daisy family, growing to about 30 centimetres, with leaves that are woolly on both sides and loose clusters of tiny, bright golden-yellow flower heads. It is also known as dwarf everlast and immortelle. It grows in dry, sandy places: sandy grasslands and heathland. According to Kew's Plants of the World Online, its native range runs from Europe to Siberia and Iran, including countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden and Estonia in the north and Germany, Bulgaria and Kazakhstan further south.

Helios and chrysos: sun and gold.

A name rooted in gold and sun

The genus name Helichrysum comes from the ancient Greek helios (sun) and chrysos (gold). Plants in the genus are often known as everlasting, immortelle or strawflower. In some daisy-family plants the colourful "petals" are in fact bracts, the small leaf-like parts around the flower head, and these can be dry and thin to the touch, which helps explain why such flowers hold their appearance after picking.

Long-lasting flowers and remembrance

Dried flowers have long been used as lasting tributes. In the cemetery tradition, "immortelles" were long-lasting arrangements, originally made from naturally dried flowers that outlasted fresh ones, and placed on graves. The name immortelle, used for this plant too, is part of the same idea of flowers that do not fade.

A plant under pressure

Wild sandy everlasting has become rare in many places. It is fully protected in Sweden and Serbia, is listed as "care demanding" in Denmark and Estonia, and is classed as endangered in a number of European countries. Researchers point to unsustainable collection and the conversion of its sandy habitat into orchards, vineyards and tree plantations as the main threats. For this reason it matters to buy from responsible, legal sources.

Long folk-medicine history

The plant has a long history in European folk traditions, and several historical pharmacopoeias listed it, although it is not in the European Pharmacopoeia. We mention this as history only.

Decorative and craft uses

Today the dried flower heads are popular for appearance: dried arrangements, wreaths, potpourri and sachets, craft projects and the decoration of herbal blends. Store them away from direct sunlight and damp to keep the colour.

How to use

• Amount: 1 teaspoon
• Water: 250 ml boiling water
• Steep: 10 minutes

Place the flower heads in a cup, pour over freshly boiled water, cover and steep, then strain. The golden heads are also lovely in dried-flower arrangements and herbal blends.

Did you know?

Sandy everlasting is fully protected in Sweden and Serbia, and listed as endangered in a number of European countries.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Helichrysum arenarium
• Wikipedia: Helichrysum
• Kew, Plants of the World Online: Helichrysum arenarium
• Frontiers in Plant Science (2018): review of Helichrysum arenarium
• Wikipedia: Immortelle (cemetery)
• Wikipedia: Asteraceae (phyllaries)
• DermNet: Compositae allergy

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The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. Herbal products are not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a medical condition, please consult a qualified healthcare professional before using any herbal product.