Helichrysum italicum

Helichrysum italicum
Helichrysum italicum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Helichrysum
Species: H. italicum
Binomial name
Helichrysum italicum
(Roth) G. Don fil.

Helichrysum italicum or Helichrysum angustifolium is a flowering plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. It grows on dry, rocky or sandy ground around the Mediterranean. The stems are woody at the base and can reach 60 cm or more in height. The clusters of yellow flowers are produced in Summer, they retain their colour after picking and are used in dried flower arrangements.

The plant produces an oil from its blossoms which is used for medicinal purposes. It is anti-inflammatory, fungicidal, and astringent. It soothes burns and raw chapped skin. It is used as a fixative in perfumes and has an intense fragrance.

It has been claimed on some gardening forums that the curry plant is as effective a cat deterrent as the "scaredy-cat" plant, Plectranthus caninus (also known as Coleus canina). This may be not so much a recommendation for Helichrysum italicum as a comment on the efficacy of Plectranthus caninus.

Curry-plant-blooming.JPG

Although called "curry plant" it has nothing whatsoever to do with the mixture of spices used in Indian cooking, nor with the curry tree (Murraya koenigii).

Contents

Cultivation

Helichrysum italicum is a tender perennial (USDA Zones 8b-11). [1]

  • Helichrysum italicum

  • Helichrysum italicum flowers

References

  1. ^ Dave's Garden: Helichrysum italicum

Sources

  • David Burnie (1995) Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean. ISBN 0-7513-2761-1
  • T. G. Tutin et al. (1968) Flora Europaea, Volume 2. ISBN 0-521-06662-X
  • J. Mastelić, O. Politeo and I. Jerković Contribution to the Analysis of the Essential Oil of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don. – Determination of Ester Bonded Acids and Phenols Molecules 2008, 13(4), 795-803 doi:10.3390/molecules13040795

External links


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