Strawflower Roussillon seeds - Xerochrysum bracteatum

Xerochrysum bracteatum 'Roussillon' blooms in a mix of apricot and soft pink tones. These plants produce flowers with papery, shiny bracts that remain very attractive for a long time without fading. Sown in spring, they bloom all summer in flower beds, but also in the vegetable garden. They are excellent flowers for dried bouquets.

From the Asteraceae family, Xerochrysum bracteatum is a tender perennial plant native to Australia, grown as an annual in cooler climates. The everlasting flower bracts also goes by the scientific names of Helichrysum bracteatum or Bracteantha bracteata.

The Helichrysum bracteatum 'Roussillon' mix brings together several different cultivars. The plants bloom from July to October, with flowers approximately 4 cm in diameter. The colour palette includes soft apricot, pink-washed orange, pale red, pearly pink, and deeper pink. The tough bracts surrounding the fertile and yellow centre of each head do not fade. Pick the flowers before they fully open. Hang them upside down in a well-ventilated, dark place to dry. Then remove their leaves and create decorative dried flower bouquets for your interior.

Xerochrysum bracteatum has a bushy habit with upright, stiff, slightly hairy stems, reaching between 90 cm in height, up to 1.20 m in the 'Roussillon' selection. Its lanceolate, narrow leaves are dark green, rough, and slightly velvety, measuring between 5 and 10 cm long. The root system is relatively shallow, making the plant sensitive to prolonged drought. It prefers well-drained soils and a sunny exposure while being able to tolerate poor soils.

Everlasting flowers 'Roussillon' do not go unnoticed in a summer flower bed. Pair them with other flowers for dried bouquets. To create a scene with warm and soft tones, choose Statice QIS Apricot with pale orange-pink flowers, a grass like Briza maxima which offers pretty pearly spikelets, and Yarrow 'Summer Pastel' with light flowering, in small corymbs of soft colours.