Curry Plant

Curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) is the silver edging plant that smells like a spice rack on a hot afternoon. It forms a low mound around 600mm tall and 1m across, dense with fine silver grey needle foliage, topped by clusters of small mustard yellow flowers through summer. It is frost hardy, drought tolerant and thrives in the poor sandy soil that defeats most edging plants.

Why you'll love it

• The scent is the point. Brush past on a warm day and the foliage releases a genuine curry aroma, strongest in full sun and after rain.
• Silver that stays silver. The fine grey foliage holds its colour all year and lifts the darker green planting either side of it.
• Tough in the worst soil. Drought, heat and salt tolerant, so poor sandy ground and coastal wind suit it fine.
• Bees and butterflies find it. The yellow summer flowers are small but heavily worked.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 60cm apart for a silver edging that reads as a continuous band by the end of the second season. Along a path it softens the hard line without flopping over the paving.

Mass planting and rockeries. In a gravel bed or on a dry slope, use the same 60cm spacing in a staggered grid. The mounds hold their shape through summer when softer plants collapse.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it a sound choice near the beach. In a pot 300mm or wider it partners rosemary and lavender on a sunny balcony.

Growing curry plant in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. Anything less and the mound opens up and the scent fades. It suits Mediterranean, warm temperate, cool temperate, arid and semi-arid gardens, and is frost hardy once established. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are its weak point, where wet summers rot the centre.

Soil. Free draining and lean. Sandy, gravelly and shallow soils are ideal, and a rich improved bed actually makes it floppy. Do not overmulch, and keep any mulch off the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then rely on natural rain in all but a long dry stretch. Feeding is counterproductive, since a fed plant grows soft and loses its tight silver look.

Pruning. Shear back by about a third after flowering, in late summer or early autumn. Do not cut into bare old wood, which will not reshoot. A trimmed plant lives for years; an untrimmed one goes woody in three.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tubestock and in 140mm pots sold by the pack of ten. Tubes are the value option for a long edge or mass planting, and they catch up quickly: expect a filled 600mm mound by the end of the second season. The 140mm plants are already branched and give a visible edge in year one.

The foliage is fine and resinous, so it travels well and arrives looking much as it left. Plant into free draining ground, water it in, then leave it alone. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• See our guide to choosing edging plants for spacing and layout.
• Compare other bee and butterfly plants for a sunny bed.
• Browse rockery plants that suit dry, gravelly ground.
• Read the rosemary care guide for a companion on the same watering.

Common questions

Can I cook with it?

Not really. Despite the aroma it has no connection to curry powder or curry leaf, and it is grown here as an ornamental rather than a culinary herb.

How far apart should I plant it for edging?

60cm apart. At that spacing the mounds meet by the end of the second season and stay dense, while closer planting only traps humidity in the middle of the row.

Will it survive frost?

Yes, it is frost hardy once established and handles cool temperate winters without protection. Wet cold is the real risk, so drainage matters more than a frost cloth.