Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) is one of Australia's most recognisable native wildflowers, famous for its colourful, papery flower heads. It's also a lovely species to try growing from seed.
🌱 Getting started
Strawflower seed doesn't require special pre-treatment.
Sow the seeds into a good-quality, free-draining seed-raising mix. Because the seeds are small, avoid burying them deeply — gently press them into the surface instead.
Keep the mix moist but not waterlogged while the seeds are germinating.
☀️ Light and growing conditions
Once your seedlings emerge, give them plenty of light. Strawflowers generally perform best in full sun and well-drained soil.
Like many young seedlings, they don't appreciate sitting in constantly wet conditions, so good drainage is important.
🌼 When to sow
There's no single sowing date that works across all of Australia. Strawflower has a broad natural distribution, so the best timing depends on your local climate and conditions.
That's one of the fun things about growing Australian natives — your local conditions matter.
👀 Look a little closer...
The colourful parts we think of as petals are not true petals, they are actually papery bracts surrounding the tiny flowers.
Those durable bracts are what give Strawflower its characteristic "everlasting" quality and make it such a beautiful dried flower.
🌱 Want to discover Strawflower?
The September Aquila Hills Monthly Discovery Kit includes Strawflower seeds, a Species Profile and a simple hands-on experiment designed to encourage you to look a little closer at how this fascinating native plant grows.
Grow • Learn • Connect
Discover the September Kit →
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