Double Tall Straw Flower
Helichrysum Bracteatum
Enjoy one of Kona Sown’s favorite flowers! Beautiful and long lasting, this flower attracts pollinators and humans alike. Bedazzle your garden, flower arrangements and craft projects with a crispy crunchy texture and color that lasts.
Plant this beauty in the spring for long season growth, achieving plants up to 6’ high! Plant in late summer for a fall harvest and shorter plants. Stems can be pruned to desired height or let them grow into a wild cluster of flowers. For an organized look stake or corral the planting together to keep tall stalks from falling over (though they continue to flower when they do).
Sow the cute cylindrical seeds in your nursery by barely covering them and keeping them moist through gemination. Straw flowers do not like to compete for space, so thin to 1 plant per 2”-4” pot. The seeds can be a little slow to start, but hold tight and give them time to germinate. Once your young plants have 5 true leaves and are at least 4" tall, plant them in the sunniest part of your garden. Spacing in the garden should be a minimum of 1 foot. Straw flowers prefer medium fertile soil that drains, but have been grown successfully in a wide range of Hawaii soils, climates and elevations.
New to seed saving? These gems are a perfect place to start! When the flowers “poof” like a dandelion, collect these mature blossoms in a bowl, rub out fluff and seeds from the center, compost or craft with the petals, and gently blow the chaff out of the bowl lightly enough that the seeds remain. Replant right away or dry down in a cool dry place for future plantings.
To dry down flowers for the most vibrant color retention, cut the stem long on half-open flowers, remove foliage and hang upside down in a cool, dry place until thoroughly dry.
Cultivation:
Sow Depth: 1/8", very lightly cover
Spacing: 12-24"
Full Sun