HELICHRYSUM italicum

Small shrub, perennial and evergreen, of southern European origin, not higher than 50 cm, component together with other essences of the so-called "Mediterranean scrub". Overall it has a beautiful silvery-gray color due to the presence of a thick whitish down that covers every part of it. The stems, thin and herbaceous, are covered with tiny linear-lanceolate, almost needle-like, tomentose and strongly scented leaves. At the beginning of summer, the plant shows its flowering consisting of numerous flower heads formed by tiny yellow-sulfur flowers, which stand out well on the silvery foliage: the decoction of these flowers can be used, for example, to treat bronchitis and cough. The whole plant gives off a scent of licorice which is why, in the past, it was used to perfume linen and environments.

It prefers full sun positions and, although it adapts to any type of soil, it likes poor, dry and well-drained ones. It can tolerate even prolonged periods of drought and also bears the salinity of sea winds in coastal areas. Withstands minimum winter temperatures of several degrees below zero, therefore it can also be used in regions characterized by intense cold and prolonged in winter. In spring at the vegetative restart we can eliminate dry, broken or bulky parts and take the opportunity to reduce all the stems by a few centimeters in order to allow a more compact growth and a more generous subsequent flowering. It can be grown on terraces and balconies, in medium-sized containers and pots placed in full sun; in the open ground, by arranging several specimens in succession, we can obtain elegant low borders: let's not refrain from combining it with other small Mediterranean bushes or with grasses with the same needs and cultivation techniques, to dress large flowerbeds in our garden with a marked Mediterranean flavor.