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Helichrysum italicum

Common name:	Curry Plant	Family:	Compositae
Author:	(Roth.)G.Don.	Botanical references:	50, 200
Synonyms:	Helichrysum angustifolium ((Lam.)DC.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. Europe.
Habitat:	Arid hills, rocks and cliffs[190]
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Gnaphalium angustifolium[G] Gnaphalium italicum[G]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Curry Plant [H], Helichrysum [H], Italian Everlasting [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	italicum = Italian
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.6m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Condiment Tea.

Leaves - used as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods[183, 238, 244]. They have a slight flavour of curry, though they do not impart this very well to other foods[K].
An essential oil (from the leaves?) is used as a flavouring to enhance fruit flavours in sweets, ice cream, baked goods, soft drinks and chewing gum[183].
A tea is made from the flower heads[183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Hedge.

Plants can be grown as a low hedge, the subspecies H. italicum serotinum(Boiss.)P.Fourn. is normally used[29]. It responds well to trimming.

Cultivation details

Requires a light well-drained soil in a sunny sheltered position[1, 200]. Intolerant of excessive moisture[1]. Established plants are drought resistant[190]. Plants have proved to be fairly wind tolerant in an exposed site in &ndndndnd[K].
This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to about -10° c[200].
Plants can be pruned back to the old wood in spring in order to maintain the shape of the plant and promote lots of new growth[238].
The whole plant smells of curry, especially after rain[238].
The flowering stems are often dried and used as 'everlasting flowers'[238].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow February/March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 3 weeks at 20° c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5cm with a heel, June/July in a frame. Roots in 4 weeks. Good percentage[78].

Scent

Leaves: Crushed: The whole plant smells of curry, especially after rainor when bruised.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Helichrysum angustifolium (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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