Helichrysum petiolare

Helichrysum petiolare
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Helichrysum
Species:	H. petiolare
Binomial name
Helichrysum petiolare

Helichrysum petiolare, known as licorice or liquorice plant, silver bush everlasting flower, trailing dusty miller and kooigoed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to South Africa and introduced to Portugal and the United States of America.^[1]

Description

Helichrysum petiolare in cultivation.

Helichrysum petiolare is a herbaceous perennial, a mound-forming evergreen shrub growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall by 2 m (6 ft 7 in) or more, with woolly grey-green leaves and dull white flowerheads in late summer (but not if grown as an annual in cooler climates.

Cultivation

It is cultivated for its foliage effect and as groundcover.^[2] This plant prefers sun to part-shade with well drained soil, being susceptible to root rot and is hardy to zones 9-11. The foliage has a faint licorice aroma. ^[3]

Numerous cultivars have been developed, of which the following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

Uses

Its traditional common name of kooigoed translates as "bedding stuff" and it is still used to provide a soft and aromatic mattress. It is listed as a weed in the state of California.^[8]

The essential oil has been investigated for its anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In South Africa it forms a component of traditional African medicine. The leaves and twigs are boiled and prepared as a sort of tea to soothe coughs and fever. The leaves are also applied to wounds to prevent infection, and are ceremonially burnt to produce a traditional incense.^{[9] [10]}

References

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