Strawflower
Xerochrysum
Strawflower blooms from June through September.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Strawflower
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 8–11. Expect it to reach about 2 ft tall and 12 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year.
When to plant Strawflower
Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Strawflower into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 9 in February.
Comes in 6 colors
Same plant, same care - pick the color you are growing.
Good to know about Strawflower
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The colorful 'petals' are stiff, papery bracts that feel straw-dry even when fresh, which is why they keep their shape and color when dried. per NC State
When to cut for drying
Cut for drying when only the outer bracts have opened and the center is still closed, because the head keeps opening and looks best half open as it dries. per Iowa State
Bees vs. dried flowers
For the best dried flowers you cut before the center opens, but that is also the pollen and nectar bees want, so leave some heads unharvested to feed them. per NC State and Iowa State
Few problems, all moisture-driven
Largely trouble-free; its few problems (downy mildew, root rot, gray mold) are moisture-driven, so good spacing, airflow and sharp drainage are the main controls. per NC State and CAES
Non-toxic to pets and people
It appears on neither the ASPCA nor the California Poison Control toxic-plant list, so strawflower is considered non-toxic to pets and people. per ASPCA and California Poison Control
What pairs well with Strawflower
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 4 in, for the front of the border.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
Fountain Grass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Lilac
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; taller at 4.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
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