Xerochrysum bracteatum Granvia Dark Orange Flame

Xerochrysum 'Granvia Dark Orange Flame' is a new selection of everlasting flower with bracts and large double flowers in a magnificent orange colour with a golden yellow centre. The impressive blooms are twice as large as those of usual varieties. This annual is well-known to fans of dried bouquets. It forms a beautiful and highly flowering cushion for almost 5 months (if you regularly remove faded flowers). Whether in the ground or in pots, its vivacious flower heads enliven borders, rockeries, or containers. They also look lovely in floral arrangements.

It is a horticultural creation from 2022. This selection comes from the everlasting flower with bracts, an annual species native to Australia. Like all plants in the Asteraceae family, its flowers are organised in capitula, but the capitula of the everlasting flower are distinguishable from daisies and centaureas by the absence of ray florets or petals, which are replaced by colourful and shiny bracts. This characteristic helps the inflorescences to last a long time once they are dry, as the bracts do not wither like petals. The 'Granvia Dark Orange Flame' selection is an upright and compact plant that reaches an average height of 50cm (20in) when in bloom, with a width of 30 to 35cm (12 to 14in). Its rough stems are ramified, covered with small, single, lanceolate, medium green, villous, slightly bluish leaves, measuring from 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in) long. Together, they form a dense tuft. Flowering takes place from summer to early autumn, usually from June to October. It is nectar-rich and popular with butterflies. The heads of 'Granvia Dark Orange Flame' measure up to 8cm (3in) in diameter.