Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice Plant)

Bred for hot, sunny environments, Licorice Plant (Helichrysum petiolare) will blow you away with its amazingly soft, densely-felted foliage which brings interest to the border as well as a slight licorice fragrance!

Bred for hot, sunny environments, Helichrysum petiolare (Licorice Plant) will blow you away with its amazingly soft, densely-felted foliage which brings interest to the border as well as a slight licorice fragrance! This evergreen shrub boasts trailing stems, densely clad with round, plush, velvety silver leaves. Blooms consist of tiny white flowers that are insignificant. It can form a lovely groundcover, spill over a wall or the edge of containers, intermingle with other plants, or be pruned into a dense, rounded thicket.

  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society (1993)
  • Grows up to 1-2 feet tall (30-60 cm) and spreads as much as 3-4 feet across (90-120 cm).
  • Mostly grown for its exceptionally beautiful foliage, this evergreen shrub is drought tolerant and requires low maintenance and low wateringDeer resistant
  • Thrives in full sun, in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils. Poor soils are tolerated, but excellent drainage is required to grow successfully this plant.
  • Fabulous for hanging baskets, containers, edging or softening hard corners, underplanting roses or shrubs, or mixed with other perennials in beds and borders. Perfect for rock gardens too!
  • Pinch and snip off wayward stems as needed. Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Requirements

Hardiness 9
– 11

Heat Zones 10
– 12

Climate Zones 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Shrubs
Plant Family Helichrysum
Exposure Full Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter
Height 1'
– 2'
(30cm
– 60cm)
Spread 3'
– 4'
(90cm
– 120cm)
Spacing 24″
– 36″
(60cm
– 90cm)
Water Needs Low
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen
Tolerance Deer, Drought
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Edging, Hanging Baskets, Patio and Containers, Underplanting Roses and Shrubs
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Coastal Garden, Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden, Prairie and Meadow