Helichrysum Petiolare Limelight
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Somewhere, a sorcerer’s apprentice is inventing names for the deviant forms of one of the most rewarding patio plants - Helichrysum petiolare. The green foliage and stems of this South African plant are covered in grey hair. Within such a species, there have of course always been mutants, plants with totally different characteristics. Some, for instance, are strikingly hairy, whereas others are almost bare. The color of the leaves may be variable, and yellow-leafed or variegated forms may also occur. The variant forms are much in demand. And, like the species itself, they are propagated by cuttings on a vast scale to adorn containers and hanging baskets. The plants scarcely tolerate frost and are therefore propagated by cuttings year after year.
Their care presents few problems. As long as you don’t let the potting compost dry out entirely, the plants will send forth their spreading shoots in every direction, several tens of centimetres (a couple of feet) upwards, but, above all, horizontally, which means that they will start trailing as soon as there is nothing left to support them. In short, it is an ideal plant for containers and hanging baskets, where they form a quiet background to flowering plants. Helichrysum can, of course, flower too, producing long stems with clusters of straw-colored flowers at their tips. Many keen gardeners cut them off prematurely, because, to them, the foliage is all-important. Do wait until the small flowers open before cutting off the stems. If you dry them, you will be able to enjoy their delightful honeyed fragrance for a long time to come.
Helichrysum petiolare ‘Limelight’ has lemon-yellow to light golden-yellow foliage. The very same cultivar is sold under, inter alia, the following names: Helichrysum petiolare ‘Aurea’; Helichrysum petiolare ‘Gold’ (there is also a variegated form with this name); and Helichrysum petiolare ‘Yellow.’ Helichrysum petiolare ‘Silver’ is very hairy and this, combined with the relatively large bluish-green leaves, strengthens its silvery effect.
Helichrysum petiolare ‘Variegatum’ has green foliage with irregular buttery yellow patches along the leaf margins. The leaves are slightly curved and hairy, making this a really striking and beautiful cultivar. One final tip: try growing helichrysum at the foot of a warm wall in full sun. The plant will branch out and climb up against the wall to at least the height of 39 in.