Helichrysum ‘Red Jewel’

Helichrysum 'Red Jewel' (Helichrysum hybrid 'Red Jewel') is a compact flowering shrub for the hot, dry, sunny corner where most plants sulk. It settles into a neat mound about 400mm tall and 400mm across, carrying small red daisy flowers through the warm months that bees and butterflies work steadily. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and untroubled by poor soil.

Why you'll love it

• Red flowers without the fuss. Strong red daisy flowers on a plant that needs no staking, no deadheading routine and no rich soil.
• It stays where you put it. At roughly 400mm by 400mm it holds a border edge or a pot for years without swamping its neighbours.
• Real drought tolerance. Once the roots are down it lives on very little, which suits arid, semi arid and Mediterranean gardens through a dry summer.
• Poor soil is an advantage. Thin sandy ground suits it better than an improved bed. Rich soil gives soft growth and fewer flowers.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Its low even mound suits the front of a sunny bed or a path edge. Plant 40cm apart and the mounds meet without crowding.

Mass planting. For a block of colour, use the same 40cm spacing in a staggered grid. Planting tighter does not close the gap faster.

Rockeries and pots. Sharp drainage is what it wants, so a rockery, a gravel garden or a terracotta pot on a hot balcony all suit. In a pot, use a free draining mix.

Growing Helichrysum 'Red Jewel' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, with air moving around it. This is a plant for warm temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and arid to semi arid gardens. It handles light frost only, so in cool temperate and tableland districts grow it in a pot you can shift under cover.

Soil. Free draining above all else, and sandy or gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, raise the bed and work coarse grit through the backfill, because wet feet over winter will finish it.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. A light slow release feed in early spring is enough, and more than that costs you flowers.

Pruning. Shear the plant back by about a third once the main flush finishes. That keeps the mound tight and prevents the woody, open centre untrimmed plants develop by their third year.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown and sold as tube stock: a young plant, usually 100mm to 150mm of growth above the mix, priced so you can buy the numbers a border or mass planting needs.

Tube stock travels well because the root ball is compact. Plant it out within a week, water it in, then keep the water up for the first summer. Expect the full 400mm mound and solid flowering in its second season rather than its first. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more drought tolerant plants
• See our bee and butterfly plants
• Compare companions in the rockery plant collection
• 15 low maintenance plants that thrive in full sun

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres, whether you are edging a path or blocking out a bed. That matches the mature spread, so the mounds knit together in the second season without competing for water.

Is it an Australian native?

We do not claim it as one. 'Red Jewel' is a trade name and its parentage has never been published clearly, so it cannot be verified either way.

Why has mine stopped flowering?

Almost always too much shade, too much water or too much fertiliser. Give it full sun, let the soil dry between drinks, and shear it back after flowering to force fresh growth.