Helichrysum italicum - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Helichrysum, also known as Curry Plant, Italian Everlasting and Sand Everlasting, is a perennial aromatic shrub with a powerful Curry scent. It forms a beautiful ball of silver leaves from which a very pretty golden yellow flowering emerges in early summer. Its branches are used, like rosemary, to flavour rice, fish, poultry or even the vinegar in which pickles are preserved. Sowing can be done in spring or autumn for planting in the garden the following year.

Native to the Mediterranean region and belonging to the Asteraceae family, Helichrysum (in Latin, Helichrysum italicum) is a very undemanding plant that is found naturally in the South of France. This subshrub forms a rounded tuft of 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) high and as wide. It has linear leaves of 4 to 5cm (2in), very narrow and slightly tomentose, which give it its pretty silver-grey-green colour. These leaves, quite similar to those of rosemary, are evergreen. The flowering of the Italian Everlasting usually occurs in early summer, from early June to late July, in the form of tight heads of a beautiful golden yellow. The Italian Everlasting is hardy, at least down to -15°C (5°F).

In the garden, the Curry Plant thrives in full sun in a rather poor, light and well-drained soil. It tolerates limestone, rocky or sandy soils very well.

It will find its place in an herb garden but also in a Mediterranean flowerbed as it is also very ornamental.

In cooking, Helichrysum branches are used to flavour rice, fish, poultry or even veal blanquette. It also has astringent, healing and veinotonic properties.

Harvest: Harvesting can be done throughout the year, as needed.

Storage: It keeps very well after being carefully dried.

Gardener's tip: Like all plants that are a little sensitive to humidity, Helichrysum seedlings can be victims of damping off. To prevent this, remember to sprinkle your potting soil with a thin layer of finely ground charcoal.