Bracteantha bracteata
Common Names: strawflower, everlasting daisy, golden everlasting
Family: Asteraceae/Compositae (aster/daisy Family)
Perennial Annual Can be Grown in Containers Flowers Useful for fresh
and/or dried arrangements
Description
Strawflower is an upright, warm-weather annual or short lived
perennial with daisy-like flowerheads in yellow, pink, bronze,
cream, purple or white. Strawflower has thin, lance shaped, grayish
green leaves up to 5 in (12.7 cm) long, and sandpapery, hollow,
branching stems that may reach 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) in height. From
late spring until fall, strawflower bears flowerheads about 2 in
(5.1 cm) across singly or in few-flowered clusters on the ends of
the branches. What look like ray flowers or petals are actually
bracts (modified leaves) surrounding the central corolla. The bracts
are papery with a straw-like, crackly texture, hence the common
name. The corolla is like the disc of more typical daisies, composed
of many tiny florets. There are no ray florets at all.
The wild form of strawflower has golden-yellow bracts and a
yellow or brownish corolla within, but gardeners have developed
strains with many other colors. 'Dargon Hill Monarch' has
golden-yellow flowerheads to 3 in (7.6 cm) across. It and 'Diamond
Head' are shrubby and perennial in mild winter areas. The Monstrosum
Series are annuals with double flowers in red, orange, pink or
white. They get about 3 ft (0.9 m) tall. The Bright Bikinis Series
of annuals also have 3 in (7.6 cm) double flowers but are dwarf,
reaching only about a foot in height. There are many other cultivars
in the trade, some of which may prove, upon further study, to be
distinct species.
Location
Strawflower is native to eastern Australia where it grows in sandy
and gravelly soils in scrub and open rangeland.
Culture
Strawflower does best in areas with long, hot summers. The taller
cultivars may require staking.
Light: Full sun.
Moisture: Strawflower needs moist, but very well drained soil. Water
when soil becomes dry.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 8 - 11. The perennial strawflowers can
tolerate light to moderate frosts. Most of the available cultivars,
however, are annuals and replanted from seed each spring. Even the
perennial forms usually live only 2 or 3 years.
Propagation: Strawflower is propagated by seed. In Zones 8 and 9,
sow in place after the last frost in spring. In cooler Zones, start
seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost, and set out
carefully when soils reach about 55ºF (12.8ºC). In Zones 10 and
higher, sow in fall for early spring blooming. Do not cover the
seeds, as they need light to germinate. The perennial cultivars also
can be started from tip cuttings taken in spring or summer.
Strawflowers are perfect for hot sunny beds where they'll produce
flowers thoughout the summer and fall.
Usage
Use strawflower in annual beds and borders. Low growing cultivars
are used as edging and in patio containers and window boxes. The
taller and bushier forms go nicely in mixed borders and in the cut
flower garden. Strawflowers tolerate sandy and gravelly soils, but
they do need frequent watering. They will rot in clayey soils.
Features
Strawflower is the everlasting flower of choice for dried floral
arrangements. The papery bracts dry beautifully without losing their
color or shape, and they last indefinitely. The pompon-like bracts
of the double flowered cultivars are especially desirable in
arrangements. To grow for cut or dried flowers, pinch off side
shoots to encourage larger (but fewer) blooms. Cut stems just as
flowerheads begin to open and hang upside-down in a warm airy place
to dry. |
