Fume Everlasting

Uses:

• Traditional Medicine (Impepho):

1. The leaves are aromatic.

2. Traditionally, people of the Eastern Cape use dried leaves as a pain reliever by inhaling the smoke of burning leaves.

3. Fresh leaves are boiled in water and drunk as a tea for coughs and colds.

4. Leaves are also traditionally used in wound dressings and to prevent infections.Also used as a purgative, ritual incense, and for magical purposes (e.g., to chase away evil spirits and for rain-making).

5. Ethnopharmacological research indicates extracts have antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, and cytotoxicity activities.

• Horticulture:

1. An attractive and easy-to-grow, hardy groundcover for dry areas.

2. Excellent for coastal gardens due to its tolerance of salty air and sandy soils.

3. Can be used as an edging plant, in mixed borders, containers, and window boxes.

4. Suitable for herb gardens and scented gardens.

5. Can cascade over retaining walls.

• Ecological:

1. Pioneer plant.

2. Helps in soil binding.

3. Attracts bees and other small insects for pollination.

Ecology:

• Grows in big straggling clumps, often in moist areas like hollows between dunes, amongst shrubs in Cape scrub, and on forest margins.

• Found in Fynbos, Thicket, Grassland, and Savanna Biomes.

• Tolerates salty air, making it suitable for coastal environments.

• Insects, including bees, are known to pollinate Helichrysum species.

Distribution and habitat:

• Endemic to South Africa. (However, some sources like POWO indicate a broader native range including Bioko, Zambia, and Saudi Arabia for the species Helichrysum cymosum, so for the subspecies, SANBI indicates it's endemic to SA).

• Provincial distribution: Western Cape (including the Cape Peninsula), Eastern Cape (along the coastal mountain ranges), and as far as Lake St Lucia in KwaZulu-Natal.

• Occurs up to approximately 1500 m above sea level in the Cape mountains, but not above 600 m in KwaZulu-Natal.

Derivation of name:

• The genus name Helichrysum is derived from the Greek words 'helios' (sun) and 'chrysos' (gold), referring to the golden flowerheads of many species in this genus.

• The species name cymosum (Latin) means 'with cymes', referring to the flat-topped clusters of flowerheads where flowers open from the centre outwards.

• The subspecies name cymosum indicates it is the typical form of the species.

• "Impepho" is a common isiXhosa name also used for other Helichrysum species known for their medicinal and ritual uses.

Historical aspects:

• About 240 species of Helichrysum are indigenous to southern Africa.

• The genus has a long history of traditional medicinal use by various indigenous communities in South Africa.

• There are two recognized subspecies: H. cymosum subsp. cymosum and H. cymosum subsp. calvum. Subsp. calvum has smaller flowerheads with fewer flowers, generally narrower leaves, and lacks a pappus. It occurs mostly in the Grassland Biome.

Interesting facts:

• This plant is truly a "Gold Carpet" in the landscape, especially when its bright yellow flowers burst into bloom!

• Its silvery-grey leaves have a cool trick: if you rub them, you can strip off a thin, paper-like layer of hairs, almost like peeling a skin!

• Helichrysum cymosum subsp. cymosum is not just pretty; it's a powerful traditional medicine, known as "Impepho" in isiXhosa, used for everything from pain relief to warding off evil spirits.

Growing tips:

• Propagation: Easy to propagate from cuttings rooted in a sand-based growing medium with compost and fertilizer. Seeds can also be sown in autumn or spring when the day-night temperature difference is around 12°C.

• Planting: Plant in well-drained soil. It thrives in sandy soils and tolerates salty air, making it excellent for coastal gardens.

• Light: Grows well in full sun and semi-shaded areas.

• Watering: Drought-resistant once established. Water regularly during dry spells, but avoid overwatering, especially in winter.

• Pruning: It's recommended to prune regularly from a young age to maintain shape and encourage bushiness. If left to mature without pruning, it may not respond well to later heavy pruning.

• Uses: Can be used as a hardy groundcover, an edging plant, in mixed borders, containers, window boxes, herb gardens, and scented gardens. It also cascades beautifully over retaining walls.